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At the age of four, Bailey was diagnosed with pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) during a routine eye exam. Since then she has had cataract removal from both eyes and she struggles daily with vision problems due to uveitis, a complication of her JRA. Little things people without arthritis take for granted, like getting out of bed, can be hard for Bailey. Swollen joints and stiffness make it hard for her to keep up with others. Since she was diagnosed, Bailey has been going to the hospital for IV infusions. She spends six to eight hours getting the medicine she needs to keep her going. At age six, they installed a port so treatments would go smoother, but they were already having trouble finding a good vein. Now ten years old, Bailey can understand more of why she endures this process, but it doesn't make it any easier. She wants to be like her friends - not sick all the time - and able to do things with ease. She hopes a cure will be found, but until then, she holds her head up and continues to smile brightly. Her family worries every day about what Bailey's future will hold. |
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