Ian Hochstetler: An Arthritis Champion

Juvenile arthritis is a family affair for the Hochstetlers — and so is giving back.

Ian Hochstetler hated swimming when he was little, instead, throwing himself into soccer while his sister excelled on the swim team. Now a high school senior, Hochstetler is co-captain of his swim team, which he helped lead to the district championships. But the journey to get there wasn’t easy.

Diagnosed at age 12 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), he was unable to walk at one point, and he spent his freshman year in a full torso brace to correct his curving spine.

Double Diagnosis

When his ankles and knees started hurting, he blamed soccer. “I just figured it was something that everyone went through,” he recalls. “Then one day it just flared up really bad.”

His mother, Ella Hochstetler, clearly remembers that day. “He literally was crawling on his hands — because he couldn’t put any pressure on his knees and ankles — into our bedroom, just crying that he couldn’t walk. It was really scary,” she recalls. They never suspected arthritis. “We had no idea that this was something that could even happen to kids.”

Around the same time, his spine started curving. Giving up soccer was bad enough, but now he was starting high school with arthritis and the brace for scoliosis. He always wore sweatshirts to hide it.

“It was really bulky and plastic and it made me feel different from everyone,” he says. “Going into freshman year, I just stayed quiet. I always asked to be [seated] in the back corner of the class. I didn’t like people sitting behind me because I didn’t want them knowing about the brace.”

“It’s very difficult to watch your child struggle, be in pain and not be able to take it away,” his mother says. “Also, it was extremely hard because we knew this was very likely to be a lifetime thing he was going to deal with.”

Hochstetler quickly got care at Akron Children’s Hospital with help from a nurse practitioner who took the family under her wing. After trying several medications, he found a biologic that has his JIA well controlled.

Soccer wasn’t an option, so he reluctantly joined the swim team, knowing it would help his arthritis. With support from his older sister, Haley, he was welcomed onto the team and excelled.

Getting Support and Giving Back

The nurse practitioner introduced them to the Arthritis Foundation, which “was great in pointing us to resources and getting us involved in a community that was supportive,” says his mother.

They started volunteering with the Jingle Bell Run, and Hochstetler attended JA camp.

“It was probably the nicest group of people I’ve ever met. They were extremely supportive and accommodating. There wasn’t a single kid there my age who felt bad for themselves or wanted to sit out because they couldn’t do it,” he says. “It was definitely a life-changing experience for me.”

The Hochstetlers continue participating in Jingle Bell Run; Hochstetler was the honoree in 2018 and a spokesperson in 2022. His mother and father, Derrick, serve on the Foundation’s local leadership board. Hochstetler is helping other kids with JA, and he plans to continue Jingle Bell Run and mentoring when he’s in college.

“At the time I got diagnosed with scoliosis, it seemed like that on top of the arthritis diagnosis, I kept thinking, ‘Why me?’” Hochstetler recalls. Now, he says, “This is why I was picked, because I want to be able to help other people with [JA] now. Not many people know about this disease, so I think it’s really important to spread awareness.”