Join our team and join the fight to conquer arthritis!

Lex was born adventurous and charismatic—a natural performer and athlete, from singing and dancing to biking, swimming, and tearing around the playground. At age seven, in September 2022, she started complaining about her ankles hurting with no apparent accident or injury, just the onset of pain, swelling and immobility. She was repetitively sent home from school with a low-grade fever and fatigue as the swelling and immobility spread to her fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and knees. After multiple visits to different doctors within Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, she was diagnosed in December 2022 with Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, an autoimmune disease with no known cause, other than a combination of an inherited predisposition and environmental factors. By January 2023, Lex was unable to walk or take care of herself or attend school regularly. Immediate action was taken by undergoing a surgical procedure to administer six steroid injections in her ankles and wrists, and fortunately, Lex was able to function once again. One year later, after trials of medications, diet changes, and behavioral and physical therapy, Lex’s arthritis is under control, and she can be her adventurous, charismatic self again. She currently does aerial yoga, rock climbing, gymnastics, four-wheeling, archery, and fishing.