Asheley Jantz
Juvenile Arthritis
Adult Honoree
 Asheley Jantz is the face of arthritis, and she wants the world to know it. She knows the general misconception – that only older people get arthritis – and she’s living proof that it’s simply not true. “It’s important to me for people to understand that anybody can get arthritis,” says Asheley, 23, who lives in Dallas. “When I tell people I have arthritis, I hear the same thing: ‘What? You can’t get that unless you’re 80!’” In reality, Asheley was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 5. It happened quite suddenly, and she spent much of her childhood fighting pain and isolation.
In fact, Asheley was pulled from a traditional classroom setting and home-schooled in 1st grade while she and her parents navigated her health journey. More recently, at age 20, Asheley had a bout with COVID that triggered an auto-immune response in her body, and her journey since then has been a steady array of injections, allergic reactions, infusions and medications. “I’ve tried everything,” she says. “It can be very isolating, even now.” Being part of the Arthritis Foundation family helps, Asheley said, and she’s happy to play a critical role on the Walk to Cure Arthritis steering committee – and to be this year’s Adult Honoree! Support Asheley and Team Ash today! |
As an ophthalmologist at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at UT Southwestern, Dr. Jennifer Cao is incredibly proud of her work with the uveitis community. Uveitis – a form of eye inflammation that can cause pain, blurry vision and even blindness – is often associated with auto-immune diseases like arthritis, including juvenile arthritis. “It is the most underserved subspecialty in all of ophthalmology,” Dr. Cao says. “There is so much impact I can have on my patients. I can save many of them from a lifetime of blindness. I love seeing my patients regain vision and thrive. And I especially love seeing my pediatric patients grow up as sighted individuals. That is my favorite!”
Ethan Abramowitz was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 6. As a child, Ethan just wanted to be “normal” and do things like join his friends at recess, but he couldn’t. The pain was so unbearable at times that he used a wheelchair, and he was often hospitalized. Now 18, Ethan is in remission and playing varsity baseball at Panther Creek High School in Frisco. He looks forward to attending the University of Missouri in the fall, focused on sports broadcasting. “My serious health battles have taught me how to take on any challenge,” Ethan says. “I've learned that many things in life can be overcome with dedication and hard work.”
Anabel of Amarillo has come a long way since being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 4. Back then, getting blood drawn or having infusions was a traumatic experience. “We literally had to hold her down,” says her mom, Tiffany. These days, Anabel is an expert. She’s 9 years old, and Mom gives her an injection every two weeks. “She does wonderful,” Tiffany says. “She’s just accepted that this is part of her life.” And her symptoms have been mostly gone for several years. “It’s hard to get people to understand that kids get arthritis, too,” Tiffany says. “And my daughter thinks she’s the only kid who has this.” She’s not, of course, and we’re happy to tell Anabel’s story.