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Welcome to Illinois
Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile Arthritis (JA) refers to any form of arthritis or an arthritis-related condition that develops in children or teenagers who are less than 18 years of age.
Impact of Juvenile Arthritis
Approximately 294,000 children under the age 18 are affected by pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions.
State prevalence numbers for pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions are available in the "Prevalence of and Annual Ambulatory Health Care Visits for Pediatric Arthritis and Other Rheumatologic Conditions in the US in 2001-2004."
Ambulatory care visits for pediatric arthritis and rheumatologic conditions averaged 827,000 annually.
Juvenile arthritis is one of the most common childhood diseases in the United States.
Arthritis and related conditions, such as juvenile arthritis, cost the U.S. economy nearly $128 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses, including lost wages and productivity.
JA E-Newsletter
JA E-Newsletter, Chicagoland
JA Scholarships
Heading off to college can be an awfully stressful time in your life. Not only must you find the right school, but things get even more stressful trying to find the money to pay for it. Financial aid – be it grants, loans or work-study programs – is available through federal and state programs or individual schools. But one of the first things you should consider is applying for scholarships. After all, it’s FREE MONEY!
There are many different qualities that can make you eligible for a scholarship – your race, your gender, your course of study. The list goes on and on. One thing that makes you uniquely qualified for some scholarships is the fact that you have arthritis or a related disease. Although there aren’t many scholarships specifically for kids with arthritis, there are quite a few for students with disabilities in general. Also, once you’ve narrowed down your search for schools, be sure to look into specific scholarships offered by the colleges themselves. What ever you do, don’t give up. There is money out there for you.
Check out the following list to see if any of these scholarships sound right for you.
Kids In Control KITS (KICKITS)
The Arthritis Foundation, Heartland Region is offering FREE survival kits to children who have been diagnosed by a doctor with a form of juvenile arthritis. The KICKIT (Kids In Control KIT) is designed to help your child learn how to take control of their arthritis by providing educational information, a health journal, a book for mom and dad, a book for the child and heat and cold pack made by HOTPAK HUGGIES.
The KIT is FREE, however, if you are able, a voluntary donation is appreciated so that we can provide KITS to more kids in Illinois. Donations may be made at the bottom of the registration form. Thank you for your support of Juvenile Arthritis Programs.
Pen Pal Program
Children will be paired up with another girl or boy with arthritis. Fill out the registration form and fax it to (312) 372-2081 or mail to 35 E. Wacker Dr, Suite 2260, Chicago, IL 60601.
Kids Get Arthritis Too
Visit our "Kids Get Arthritis Too" website
Read Kids Get Arthritis Too newsletter.
Juvenile Arthritis News
Getting Social Security Disability for Your Child with Juvenile Arthritis
Old Person's Arthritis Afflicts Thousands of Kids. The article appears in USA Today and is the second of a two-part series on juvenile arthritis arranged by the Arthritis Foundation.
Learn more about Juvenile Arthritis
