Caring for Patients with Juvenile Arthritis

Children can get arthritis too. Juvenile arthritis affects nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. and can lead to issues with mobility and activities.

When he was 6, arthritis caused painful joints all over Donovan's body. He could barely make a fist or walk down the stairs in the morning. The child was referred to the Chicago Shriners Hospital, where pediatric rheumatologist Linda Wagner-Weiner, M.D., leads a multidisciplinary family-centered care team. Now 9, Donovan has almost no symptoms, and he has overcome his fear of the shots that provide medical treatment to manage his illness. One day he wants to become a scientist to help find a cure for arthritis so other children do not have to go through what he has experienced. 

To help families and clinicians who may be facing or dealing with a juvenile arthritis diagnosis, you can hear an interview with Dr. Wagner on our hospital podcast series.

Also visit our juvenile idiopathic arthritis page for more information.