'I don't remember my life without arthritis'

A teenager who "doesn't remember" life without arthritis says she hopes new research leads to a cure for the condition.

Annabelle, 17, from Bristol, has spent the past ten years undergoing treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), including painful fortnightly injections to keep the disease under control.

Bristol Royal Hospital for Children has joined an international effort to develop new treatments for the condition, which causes swollen and stiff joints and is as common as type 1 diabetes in young children, according to the NHS.

"If there's a cure that would be very good because I'm not sure I'll ever get off my medication," said Annabelle.

Annabelle was diagnosed with JIA aged seven after her father noticed one of her knees had become swollen following a family holiday.

"You kind of have these symptoms which are recurring," she said.

"For me, my joints are always really hot, I'm not in the best mood, I feel quite ill and obviously [feel] pain from my joints and swollen and they're quite stiff and it makes it hard to do everyday activities."

Over the years, Annabelle has undergone multiple treatments and had frequent hospital appointments.

"I used to have to take six different tablets every week," she said. "I used to throw up all the time from it because I hated tablets."

She now has an injection every two weeks.

"It's quite painful but it helps me, so it's worth it," she said. "I can't even remember the last time I flared up.

"I play football, hockey, cricket and rugby and they're fine."

Arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness and restricted movement in a joint.

Professor Ram Ramanan, a paediatric rheumatologist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said the condition affects about one in every 1,000 children.

"It's much more common than people think," he said.

"Usually it's seen as a disease of the elderly."

The University of Bristol and Bristol NHS Foundation Trust are partners in a new £50m research centre investigating chronic inflammatory diseases, funded over 14 years by the Medical Research Council.

The project is led by a team of investigators from across the UK and Japan.

Ramanan, who is leading the Bristol programme, said it could help pave the way for future cures.

"We have very good treatments now, but what we want to move towards is things which enable our patients to experience a cure of these autoimmune diseases," he said.

Annabelle said a cure would be "very beneficial".

"I don't remember my life without arthritis. It will be good for kids to just live their normal life and not have the struggles that I've had," she said.

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