Tricia

"The Arthritis Society has supported me and given me so much."

Tricia Riddell, now 18, was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. At the time, Tricia was skating at a competitive level, something she had to give up completely as a result of severe pain and stiffness. "I went from being crazily active and skating six times a week—sometimes twice a day—to being a sick kid," Tricia says.

The Riddell family soon learned different techniques to fight Tricia's arthritis, including a combination of medications and therapeutic treatments. After receiving a referral from Tricia's rheumatologist, The Arthritis Society contacted the Riddell family and Tricia was soon seeing Irene Rand, a physiotherapist with The Society. Along with providing Tricia with physiotherapy treatment and giving support to the Riddell family, Irene went to see Tricia's grade seven class to talk about juvenile arthritis. This helped Tricia's classmates understand how the disease was affecting her and why she had to wear wrist splints.

Irene's support has helped Tricia and her family come to terms with her juvenile arthritis.

Tricia is a lovely, well-rounded and confident girl. She is president of the student council at her school and an active member of The Burlington Teen Tour Band. To help her play when she was starting out, The Arthritis Society made her a trumpet splint.

Instead of letting her juvenile arthritis hold her back, Tricia has discovered new dreams to pursue and is living a full life.