Shannon is an active 16-year-old with a wide variety of interests. She is an avid soccer player, participating in travel leagues and is a member of the Varsity team at Patuxent High School. She is also a member of the Varsity Swim Team at PHS. She has an interest in photography and enjoys being a Girl Scout. Academically, she excels, participating in all AP classes.
Shannon’s journey with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, began at 18 months old when her parents were alarmed to see their normally developing daughter had stopped walking. Her pediatrician initially thought that she had injured her legs, but after a few weeks of no improvement ordered a blood test, which confirmed her diagnosis. She was referred to a Rheumatologist and placed on medication to treat the disease until the age of 5, at which time she was determined to be in remission. Shannon was free of medication until age 8, at which point she complained of pain in her ankle. She went back on medication until June of 2016 when she once again in remission. In the summer of 2017, as Shannon began conditioning with her High School Soccer team, she began to experience pain in her knee. At her annual check-up, the fluid was drained from her knee and tested. Her arthritis was back in a new joint. Thankfully, she is responding well to the treatment which includes daily medication and frequent visits to her Rheumatologist.
Although she has JRA, with careful monitoring and treatment, she has been able to do those things that most 16-year-old girls enjoy, including participating in the Solomon’s Island Jingle Bell Run! She is grateful for the participation of runners in this event, as every dollar raised is important to continue the monumentally important work in which the Arthritis Foundation is engaged.
To support Shannon or join her team please click here!
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