Don't Give UpBe sure to never give up “Don’t Give Up” is the positive message to children and young people living with arthritis in a new campaign featuring one of Ireland's top camogie players, Niamh Rockett, and Cork student Mary O'Donovan. The campaign highlights the importance of physical activity and mental wellbeing in living with a chronic condition. Some 1,200 children and young people have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Ireland. JIA is an autoimmune condition and can cause swollen and painful joints, impaired coordination, fatigue, high fever, rashes, and can also affect other organs, including the eyes. It is important for children and young people with juvenile arthritis to keep active, and to keep their joints and whole body healthy. Physical activity helps to develop muscles to support their joints. “It’s shocking to hear of children living with the pain, fatigue and destruction of arthritis. Yet, that is the reality for 1,200 kids, young people and their families in this country. It’s easy to forget too, that while we continue to wrestle with Covid-19, that the daily challenge of living with juvenile arthritis persists.” - Gráinne O’Leary, chief executive, Arthritis Ireland Call the Arthritis Ireland helpline 0818 252 846Email the Arthritis Ireland helpline Please select a donation amount (required) €10 €25 €50 €100 Other Set up a regular payment Donate Note: The video for this campaign was filmed prior to Covid-19. Don't Give Up is supported by AbbVie. Mary's Story Mary O'Donovan was only 13 when she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. She discovered a rash and had a bad temperature at nights. She was a patient at Children's Health Ireland Hospital, Crumlin and when she returned home she was worried that she could never play camogie or sports again. She felt her life would be drastically altered by this awful disease. However, when Mary asked her doctor if she have to give up sport, her doctor told her "Do not!" This helped Mary to cope with her diagnosis and gave her a different outlook on life. This positive outlook led Mary to understand that she did not have to be bed bound in order to deal with her arthritis. In fact, the very opposite was true, that by exercising and keeping up her sports it would actually benefit her. She says that she is doing a lot more now than she was before her diagnosis. Her advice for anyone who has just been diagnosed with arthritis is remarkably positive: "Do what you're told by your doctors, take your meds, but live your life!" There are 1,200 children and young people living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Ireland. With your help, we can continue to offer support and information to them and their families. Call the helpline0818 252 846 Email the helpline Support the work we do, to improve the lives of people living with arthritis by making a donation today Manage Cookie Preferences