Kids With Juvenile Arthritis Share Their “Greatest Hopes”

Although many people think of arthritis as an older person’s disease, arthritis affects people of all ages, including children. In fact, an estimated 300,000 children are living with juvenile arthritis. Each year, we bring JA kids and families together at our annual Juvenile Arthritis Conference to share their experiences, spend time with other kids and families like them, and ultimately, to instill a sense of hope and optimism that the Arthritis Foundation is here to support them in their journey to live their best lives.

The theme for this year’s Juvenile Arthritis Conference which took place in Orlando last month was “Hope Grows Here,” and boy did we see that theme come to life. The kids and families that attended the 2015 JA Conference brought such an energy and optimistic spirit to the event, despite the fact that each day, they live with a disease that has the ability to limit that energy and spirit. We asked our JA kids, “What’s your biggest hope, despite living with arthritis?” Check out the video below to learn more about the fantastic hopes and dreams of just a few of the hundreds of thousands of children across the country living with juvenile arthritis: