don’t call it arthritis

Ten fingers. Ten toes. And a working immune system. It’s a modest desire for any new mom or dad. But for the parents of Olivia Armas, the universe had other plans. › By

Sean Trapani › Photography by John Jernigan

Olivia Armas has the unfortunate distinction of having developed a rare condition called SJIA, or systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, an auto-immune disease that tricks the body into attacking its own tissues and organs.

“Olivia was diagnosed at 10 months old,” says Olivia’s mom, Samantha. “We were lucky that our pediatrician, Dr. [Kenneth] Morse, spotted symptoms early on and referred us

“People hear the word ‘arthritis’ and think, ‘oh that’s some bone or joint issue that only old people get,’” says Danny. “But Olivia’s never had a bone or joint issue. It’s all in her organs.”

With July being Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Awareness Month, the Armas family hopes that more people will learn about the disease so that they can get help sooner. One good place to start would be at the National Institute of Health site, which can be found at https://bit.ly/2Jjdma7.

As for her own daughter’s journey, Samantha hopes her personal blog will someday provide comfort for an older Olivia. But Samantha also invites others to view her journey, as well.

To read about Olivia’s journey, visit OliviaOliveBottom.blogspot.com