A FAMILY whose young daughter suffers with arthritis went the distance to support her and others with the condition.
Nine-year-old Phoebe Howat will be completed the 5km Stratford park run at the recreation ground at the weekend along with her family and fellow JIA warrior Charlotte Richards.
The family has raised £500 for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society(NRAS)which supports children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).
The incurable condition causes inflammation of the joints and affects some 11,000 children across the UK.
Treatment is time consuming and can be damaging to confidence, social interaction and participation in simple activities.
And although mum Harry described her as a happy child, Phoebe was no exception.
She said: “She is not very confident in groups and is very nervous of P.E and anything competitive. She knows she’s not very good at sport – the early months of being unable to walk have left her with muscle wastage so she’s not as physically developed as her peers. Sports day at school is an ordeal. She wants to be picked for teams but worries that she won’t perform well and others will blame her.
“We really want to draw people’s attention to this condition. It’s not well-known but so debilitating for sufferers.”
But despite this, the youngster was all smiles after completing the park run and is now looking forward to taking on the Shottery Brownies sponsored walk on July 9.
And the dedicated family has been invited to a fundraising celebration for JIA
and NRAS at the the Palace of Westminster later this month, for their contributions to the cause.
Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/family5kforJIA to donate to Phoebe’s cause.
Search #purpleforjiaday for more information.
