Overcoming Adversity and Reclaiming Life - A Teen with Juvenile Arthritis

The following was written by Savannah Nelson for a class at school.

A glimpse inside the life of a teen with Juvenile Arthritis.

The Photograph

In my room, I have a picture of my seventh grade JV soccer team in a huddle. For most where that photo might just represent past memories, for me, it symbolizes reclaiming my future. When I was in second grade, soccer was my life. My days were spent at camps, games, practices, and trying to simulate the lives of my favorite players. Everything I did was connected to the sport, and I lived for the rush of stealing the other team's ball and ensuring it made its way into the goal. The only problem was the opponent wasn’t my only adversary, but also my own body. All my life, I had struggled with extreme pain in my fingers, and as time went on, the agony had spread to my feet. As the seasons rolled through, the pain progressed, but so did my passion. It got to the point where my father had to carry me off the field after games due to the extreme pain in my feet. Even then, I never missed a practice. 

My joints caved on me the following season, and I was forced to give up the sport I loved. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis a few months later. From there, I fell into a state of self-pity, and my own thoughts imprisoned me. Many years, medications, and infusions later, I slowly made progress, both physically and mentally. My seventh grade year, I had put myself back together enough to work up the courage to try out for the soccer team. This wasn’t only a choice to join a sport, but a decision to break the shackles that held me to my past. I practiced everyday after school for weeks leading up to the tryouts, and when the roster was posted…there was my name listed…I had made it!  I will never forget the weight that had burdened me for so long being lifted. After that season, I learned that soccer just wasn’t my love anymore, but even so, it gave me something in a way nothing else could: my life back.