Hope has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. JIA. Which essentially means her immune system is hyper reacting to an infection that is not there. She has been in a lot of pain and it has affected her ability to even walk normal.

Hope has been a trooper through it all. It’s crazy to witness your child lose mobile abilities like, climbing in and out of a car. Or sitting down on the ground or even at times walking and simply standing. They have have had many sleepless or interrupted nights. Hope has inflammation in almost all of her major joints. With her elbow and knees all not being able to straighten. As her primary care doctor says “she’s one tough cookie”.

JIA affects only 300,000 kids in the United States. There is a strong possibility that this will affect her for the rest of her life. Or there is a smaller possibility that this will go Into complete remission. There is not a cure for this but it is manageable if you get ahead of it. It is not necessarily life threatening if monitored and treated but it is absolutely life altering, which she has already experienced a taste of.

Hope will be getting treated traditionally through the Cleveland Clinic with her primary care through UH. Hope will be starting low doses of immuno suppressants (chemo) and steroids to help her inflammation and to slow down her immune system. Once that’s under control. She will continue on that but then PT will be added into the mix to get her mobility back.

This of course is not an inexpensive journey and the bills are already pouring in. Any help financially that you could offer to relieve the burden for Hope and Courtney would be greatly appreciated.

If you are unable to donate, we ask that you send prayers up on their behalf. We know the power of prayer and are thankful for any and all support! Let’s help Heal Hope.