Meet Meghan Kynett

2009 South Shore Arthritis Walk Youth Ambassador

In her own words, Meghan Kynett, 2009 South Shore Arthritis Walk Youth Ambassador, tells the story of her journey with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and gives her advice to other kids in her situation.

"Hello, my name is Meghan Kynett. I'm 12 years old with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). I'm currently in 7th grade and attending middle school in Middleboro, MA. Although I was only eight years old when I was diagnosed with Polyarticular JRA, I remember having arthritic pain as young as four years old.

For those of you that don't understand, arthritis is very painful and immobilizing. Although arthritis makes one stiff and uncomfortable, it's very important to stay active. Some sports and activities I enjoy are dance (tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop), soccer, horseback riding, reading and keeping in touch with my friends. My arthritis did cause some difficulties in these sports and activities, but I always found a way to push myself. It also helps if you have friends who support you. I know that I would have had a lot of difficulties without my friends, especially Haley, Alicia, Kirsten and Ryan. They've stuck with me through all of my flare ups and issues.

Not only does my arthritis affect my activities, but it also affects my school work. It seems that a lot of my flare ups occur when I have a lot of stress, especially before a big test. Some ways I try to calm myself is by drinking chamomile tea, taking lavender bubble baths, and listening to nature sounds at night. My arthritis can sometimes make other academic areas tough but having good, understanding teachers is always helpful. To keep or build a good relationship with your teacher, it is a good idea to keep him/her updated on doctors' appointments and flare ups. For some teachers, it might be hard to understand the pain or the disease itself. This can be hard and turn into conflict. This is never good. This can be avoided by having a meeting with your teacher and a parent to describe and explain the situation to them. Not only is this making life a little bit easier for you, but it is also spreading awareness about arthritis in children.

That is one of the reasons why I walk. When you walk, you get exercise, stay in motion and you raise awareness about arthritis too! Raising awareness about Juvenile Arthritis is important because that way people will be more informed about it and maybe that will lead to finding a cure.

I hope you will join me and my team, Team Meghan, on May 17th at the South Shore Arthritis Walk as we work to spread awareness and raise funds!"

-Meghan Kynett, 2009 South Shore Arthritis Walk Youth Ambassador

 Team Meghan, 2008 South Shore Arthritis Walk