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Joel's Story

Joel Allott was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 6. He’s been fighting the disease for five years and is a strong young man who encourages others with arthritis to be strong, too. 

At age 6, Joel began to experience pain and stiffness. His joints would hurt so much that he could hardly get out of bed in the morning and even had trouble playing video games.  Joel was quickly diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (JA) and began treatment. 

Joel is now 11. He’s tried several different medications, but he still experiences JA pain. Now using biologics to manage his symptoms, he his finding some relief. “Lately my biggest problem has been my lungs,” says Joel. “I can’t ride my bike and play soccer.” 

Despite the pain and limitations JA brings to his life, Joel continues to wake up each morning ready to fight his disease. His goal is to help other kids with JA feel better about their diagnosis. He remains positive and encouraged that treatments will continue to improve and will help him achieve remission someday.