Cochranite Jarad Hauck has juvenile arthritis and he does not let it stop him.
The 17-year-old was diagnosed seven years ago when it was discovered arthritis affected Hauck’s fingers, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
“Before the diagnosis, I was stiff all over, it took me 20 minutes to get out of bed in the morning because of how stiff I was – I was angry all the time because I was in pain, and I didn’t know why my coordination was off with my hands… I couldn’t grab a basketball, it was hard to write and draw,” Hauck explained.
Now with the help of medication and routine checkups Hauck works on enjoying his life to the fullest, as the captain of his high school volleyball team, the teenager also enjoys skiing every weekend and long boarding in the summers.
“Just because you have a condition or disease does not mean you can’t do what you love doing,” Hauck said.
“Own up to your condition – sure you have it but it doesn’t mean it should stop you from doing what you want to do.”
March is Childhood Arthritis Awareness month and Dr. Nicole Johnson, leading pediatric rheumatologist and clinical assistant professor at University of Calgary who treats Hauck, discussed why early detection is crucial.
“It is important to diagnosis children early because while the joint is inflamed, it has a difficult time for normal growth and development, so each of the affected joints have the risk of not developing well if it is not taken care of,” Johnson explained.
But detection can be difficult in children and youth because the condition might happen gradually with making the symptoms harder to notice, or some parents are unaware that arthritis can happen in someone so young.
According to the Canadian Arthritis Society, an estimated 24,000 Canadians 18 years old and under live with a form of arthritis – affecting more than three out of every 1,000 youths.
“We do a lot of children who are diagnosed late, where the joint development cannot be reserved, so if you get the diagnosis early you can prevent some of these deformities,” Johnson said.
Figuring out how to live with the condition is also key to a healthy life, Johnson said.
“I tell them to manage their healthcare but they have to have other priorities, such as figuring out how to do what they love – it is important. If they are not happy then it is very hard to manage your health,” Johnson said.
Hauck is set to graduate from high school this year, and plans to take upgrading before going into a graphic design program.
“To be honest, it doesn’t affect my life anymore – I still get to do what I love,” Hauck said.
For more information on Juvenile Arthritis, go to arthritis.ca
