Children can have arthritis, and these Utah teens want to spread the word

SALT LAKE CITY — In Utah, close to 30,000 people under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with arthritis. Candace Rond is mother to two of them.

When her children were younger and suffering with intense pain, she was told to see a rheumatologist. An appointment was never easy to get, given that there were only six of these specialists in the Mountain West at the time.

Eventually, Rond met with one when her daughter Gabby was 9 and was informed her daughter was suffering from arthritis. Rond had begun seeking answers for her daughter's joint pain when Gabby was 2.

"Before I started doing some research, I didn't realize children could get arthritis, but I know now," Rond said. "When they told us the diagnosis, I was both shocked and relieved. Relieved because we can put a name to it. It was a very frustrating process, so hearing 'arthritis' gave us a name to get help."

Rond is not alone in experiencing surprise at her daughter's arthritis diagnosis — and a few years later, her daughter Sophia's. While it is true that most people who suffer from arthritis are over the age of 50, juvenile arthritis is not nonexistent. Rond and her daughters are taking their time to spread the word about the disease.

The belief that only older people can be diagnosed with arthritis is only one of the many myths that exist about the disease.

The Mayo Clinic says juvenile arthritis' cause is largely unknown, but genetic and environmental factors can play a role.

Medical schools across the country, from Northwestern University School of Medicine to the Cleveland Clinic and the National Institutes of Health, have researched the many myths — such as all joint pain is arthritis; if you crack your knuckles, you will get arthritis; grape juice can ease arthritis pain and more — and have found they are more than misbeliefs. They are old wives' tales that are embedded into the culture.

As such, hospitals such as the University of Utah Hospital and the Arthritis Foundation Utah work to educate patient families, and the community as a whole, about the realities of arthritis, including juvenile arthritis.

"Four hundred thousand people total in Utah have been diagnosed with a form of arthritis ... so it impacts a lot of people and people of all ages," said Rod Hamson, executive director of the Utah, Idaho and Montana region of the Arthritis Foundation. "A lot of times, we don't see the physical symptoms until many people are older, but young people are definitely affected."

Gabby Rond, now 13, and her sister Sophia, 15, have found that it is important to educate everyone about their disease. They are both junior ambassadors for the local Arthritis Foundation, giving them the opportunity to educate even lawmakers from the Utah State Capital to the U.S. Congress about the reality of this disease.

They really are suffering from intense pain from time to time. The girls also have a hard time physically getting up in the morning due to joint stiffness and pain. They have to take medication that makes them sick. The teenagers have found once people know what they go through, they have a better understanding of juvenile arthritis.

One point of understanding is the importance of movement for both girls. Gabby is a level 6 gymnast with the goal of competing in college. Sophia is a dancer on her high school's drill team.

The sisters both will participate in the fun run at the reinstated Jingle Bell Run, a fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation of Utah. They will also be around to share their story or answer questions.

"I may look normal, but I'm not normal," Sophia said. "As a junior ambassador, I can let people know they are not alone. Some kids don't have the power to use their voice."

"There are thousands of kids with invisible diseases in Utah," Gabby said. "We try to share our story when we can."

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