Charlie’s Story
With big plans to be a football star, Charlie won’t let juvenile idiopathic arthritis stop him. He’s pushing aside the pain of monthly injections and embracing an active childhood.
Seven-year-old Charlie Field was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in May 2017. Since then, the Field family has reached a new normal - constant injections to prevent the symptoms from interrupting Charlie’s childhood. The first nine months included daily injections, but only once-a-month injections have been needed for the last year. Charlie will continue these shots for at least another 12 months, and the medications have worked extremely well at preventing his JIA symptoms.
Charlie is an avid sports fan. Last year alone, he played T-ball, soccer, karate, basketball and flag football. He recently said that he wants to play football at Clemson University because they won the national championship. Charlie’s parents don’t plan on letting JIA keep him from realizing his dreams, whatever they turn out to be. The Field family is excited that Charlie was asked to be this year’s Youth Honoree for the Houston Walk to Cure Arthritis and are humbled to have the opportunity to help bring awareness to juvenile arthritis.
Charlie is an avid sports fan. Last year alone, he played T-ball, soccer, karate, basketball and flag football. He recently said that he wants to play football at Clemson University because they won the national championship. Charlie’s parents don’t plan on letting JIA keep him from realizing his dreams, whatever they turn out to be. The Field family is excited that Charlie was asked to be this year’s Youth Honoree for the Houston Walk to Cure Arthritis and are humbled to have the opportunity to help bring awareness to juvenile arthritis.