MY STORY
At the young age of just two years old, my daughter was diagnosed with pauciarticular juvenile arthritis.
I immediately dove into mountains of research on this autoimmune disease that I had never even heard of. I found out that it is about as common as type 1 diabetes, yet most people seem to have no idea what it is. The standard treatment protocol seemed very scary considering how young my daughter was at the time.
I decided to seek out alternatives.
I found many stories of others having success without using Methotrexate or biologics. I knew that was the path that I wanted to take. We already ate a very clean diet, and avoided many inflammatory foods as well as personal care products. I decided to take our diet one step further and include certain supplements.
Within a few months, my daughter’s ESR went down from a 33 to a 12. Her ESR had been increasing until that point. We have been off meds the entire time from the start of her symptoms in April of 2019. She had one flare due to a diet change, and we were able to get it back under control.
My daughter is pain free and recently hiked close to six miles running ahead of the rest of the group the entire time.
She does gymnastics and she is an incredibly active and happy child. She is full of life and lights up any room she walks into. I feel so fortunate to have been able to have the support necessary to choose this path.
Few Doctors, Long Waitlists: Why Getting Care for Juvenile Arthritis Is So Hard
Pediatric rheumatologists are hard to find. There are only three in the state of Arizona. The current rate of diagnosis in on par with Type1 diabetes, yet there are currently 42 pediatric endocrinologists here.
Many parents are looking for alternative or complimentary treatment options as they watch and experience the vast amount of negative side effects that can come with current treatment protocols. Additionally, the current standard treatments are designed to manage symptoms. They tend to come with a long list of side effects and potential complications. Many times, children are still in pain.
Approximately 50-70% seem to be able to reach clinical remission, meaning that they are still on medication to mange their arthritis. It appears that only about 30% are able to reach unmedicated remission. The medications available do not cure this disease and there is very little understanding as to what triggers the disease in the first place.
I am here to help families navigate this challenging journey.
I am here to advocate for you. We all need a voice. Our children deserve the very best!
Let’s work together to create a personalized, holistic approach that prioritizes your child’s health, naturally and sustainably.