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Aralyn's Story

While she’s been to many different doctors, Aralyn has yet to receive a definitive diagnosis. For three years, she has hoped doctors can pinpoint the exact cause of her pain. 

Now 10, Aralyn Pace has experienced arthritis symptoms since the age of 7.  While she’s been to many different doctors, she has yet to receive a definitive diagnosis. Her doctors believe she has something in the autoimmune, arthritis, connective tissue disorder family. 

She has almost daily pain in her knees, ankles, wrists, fingers, neck, back and hips. She is also hypermobile and already showing possible scoliosis. Aralyn loves tumbling and dancing and rarely let’s this disease slow her down. Being active in dance can be a struggle and is occasionally filled with bouts of pain. Despite her pain, she smiles through it all with this invisible disease.  

Aralyn has a big brother and sister along with three dogs, two cats and two ferrets. She loves animals and is often called the animal whisperer by her parents. She’d like to be a dance teacher or veterinarian when she grows up. Aralyn was able to attend the national Juvenile Arthritis Conference in Seattle this past year where she made many friends from all over the country. It showed her she is not alone. 

This experience has renewed her fight against this disease. Her family is fighting right alongside her, bringing advocacy and awareness of the Arthritis Foundation to their community’s attention.