Tanner & Tolan’s Story  

Tanner & Tolan Schiefla, Arthritis Warriors

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Brothers Tanner, 14, and Tolan, 6, have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Tanner started experiencing pain when he was only 3 years old. In May 2012, he was rushed to the Children’s Hospital where he was told his muscle enzymes were elevated, and his body was attacking itself instead of a virus. Tanner was given fluids and pain medication before being sent home. 

In December 2012, the same symptoms returned. His parents began researching and decided he needed to see a rheumatologist. After a year of  testing, Tanner was diagnosed with JIA.  

Tolan started to show signs of arthritis when he was 2, and his parents began to watch him as he grew. It was not until the end of 2015, when they were at an appointment for Tanner, that the rheumatologist looked at Tolan and said he needed to officially see him as a patient. In January 2016, Tolan was diagnosed with JIA, just like his brother. 
 
Both boys take medication regularly and enjoy working with their medical teams. They love being advocates and teaching the world that kids get arthritis, too.