A teenage girl from Aylesbury was invited to Parliament to participate in an exhibition raising awareness around arthritis.

Tamsin, 17, was among the volunteers and staff invited to Westminster to discuss children and young people living with arthritis.

A week-long art exhibition was held in the Government’s halls under national charity, Arthritis UK’s, joint creativity programme. Called ‘inside arthritis’ the project, which was held in the Upper Waiting Hall, displayed a collection of arts and crafts.

MPs were invited to check out the showcase, including event sponsor, Liberal Democrat MP Manuela Perteghella. It was created to challenge the misconception that arthritis is ‘just an old person’s disease’.

placeholder image — Tamsin in Parliament

Arthritis UK reveals that Tamsin was first diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) at only two years old. “She has never known a life without medication, doctors’ appointments and repeat flare-ups, all of which have impacted her childhood,” a spokesperson for the charity said.

"Despite having a diagnosis at a young age, and regular support from her paediatric rheumatology team, she was never directed to Arthritis UK’s ‘Joint Creativity’ programme. Last year, Tamsin approached the art club herself through social media and has since joined them on a residential where she enjoyed the opportunity to connect with a like-minded community.”

She told the charity: “I had so much fun on the residential doing arts and crafts, but my favourite part was the downtime between activities where I had the opportunity to make friends who have similar experiences to me and understood me without having to explain.

“Having arthritis is difficult, but with the right support and adjustments in place anything can be possible. There was a period of time in year 12 where I was very unwell and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to complete my A-Levels, but with a little extra support I am now receiving offers from my first-choice universities to study children’s nursing.

“To me, this really shows that when people recognise your needs and offer that little bit of extra help JIA does not have to stop you achieving anything you want.”

JIA is an autoimmune disease that affects around 10,000 children in the UK, the charity explains. It causes painful, swollen or stiff joints that can be debilitating, requiring prompt intervention to prevent long term joint damage. Research has shown awareness among the public, as well as many health professionals, is low – something Arthritis UK is working hard to change.

The exhibition was timed ahead of World yOung Rheumatic Disease Day (WORD Day) on March 18, a dedicated day to raise the profile of young people living with all forms of rheumatic diseases.

Deborah Alsina, Arthritis UK Chief Executive, met with Tamsin, she said: “’Inside Arthritis’ is an opportunity for parliamentarians to hear first-hand from our young community about the stigma and challenges of living with arthritis.

“Many of us know someone living with arthritis, the resilience it requires and the knock-on impact it can have on quality of life and mental health. This is particularly acute for those affected earlier in life; one study has shown nearly 60% of children and young people with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) had or required mental health support.”