I Wonder Why

    My name is Sarah Mairs and I wonder why I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was born on April 26^th,
1997 and I was a healthy baby. I got very sick when I was 18 months old. I was at my grandma’s house
and my parents were in the mountains. No one knew what was wrong with me at that time. I kept getting
sicker and sicker, so my parents ended up taking me to the doctor. The doctors did a lot of blood work
and tests, the doctors had to take a long time to let me know I had JRA. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
is not like the arthritis older people get, this disease affects my organs, my blood and it is damaging my
joints.
    Because of my arthritis, it’s harder for me to do things that other kids do. When I see other kids run,
jump, and dance and do things I can’t do- I feel left out. And that is why I wonder why I have arthritis.
Sometimes it just feels like it is not fair. I have asked my parents and the doctors but no one can give me
a sure answer. It is very confusing to me.
    There are so many things that I have to handle. Every day I take lots of pills. Every week I have to get
two shots- one is very painful and it scares me and used to make me cry. Usually every month I have to get
some kind of infusion. What upsets me the most is having to use a wheel chair. I can walk, but not for a
long distance- it hurts too much. The doctors tell me that when I am finished growing, that I will have a
surgery that will replace my hips and I will be able to walk then. I can’t wait!
    Recently, I was told I have cancer. Living with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma will now be another part of my life. 
I was shocked and REALLY scared when I got the news! I’m not sure how things will change but I will try my
hardest to be brave. Now I have TWO health problems in my life. My whole family and I are so scared. I’m
going to have to go to Duke to see doctors a lot more often.
    When I get down about these things, that’s when I really ask… I wonder why I have arthritis and NOW
cancer. But you know, when I go to The Duke Children’s Hospital, I see children that are much sicker than
I am and I wonder if they are going to be OK. 

                                                                       Sarah Mairs 5th Grader