Why School Children Across The UK will be Wearing Purple on the 7th of June

WHY SCHOOL CHILDREN ACROSS THE UK WILL BE WEARING PURPLE ON THE 7th OF JUNE

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) aims to raise awareness of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in the UK with #WearPurpleForJIA event 

NRAS will be launching its annual #WearPurpleForJIA day this year on the 7th of June and is asking schools and workplaces across the UK for support by letting students, staff and employees wear purple, organise purple-themed events at home or the workplace and spread the word on social media to help raise awareness of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in children under the age of 16.

As JIA is one of the most common causes of physical disability in childhood, early identification is vital.

This national awareness day aims to fundraise and, more importantly, inform and educate the general public that children can get arthritis too. Although there are over 12,000 children under the age of 16 in the UK affected by JIA, diagnoses can often take months or sometimes years.

Lynette Haselip’s 8 year old daughter, Farah Mills, was diagnosed with JIA after she woke up on Christmas morning almost six years ago with a swollen ankle.

Lynette said,

“#WearPurpleForJIA started after my daughter, Farah, was diagnosed with arthritis aged two years old. It took five months for a diagnosis. Once diagnosed I realised there was no support, no awareness and no recognition for children with arthritis…then #WearPurpleForJIA was born.”

For the past three years Lynette and NRAS have campaigned to raise awareness of JIA and funds for JIA-at-NRAS through the #WearPurpleForJIA day.

Lynette added,

“Wear Purple has spread far and wide with people and places all over the UK being involved. It has connected people who thought they were on this journey alone and now they have found support and friendships. When I started the campaign, I never thought it would be as big as it is now with so many people involved.”

Anne Gilbert, Youth and Family Services Manager at NRAS, commented,

“We have been overwhelmed by the increasing support shown for this campaign over the last three years; our supporters raised over £50,000 in 2018 and this has meant we can create and share more resources, educate more people and continue to host social and fun events in a safe environment where families impacted by JIA can network and unwind.”

27 schools nationwide will be leading the charge for this year’s #WearPurpleForJIA campaign along with more local community awareness and fundraising events happening across the country on and around June 7th. Many of these events are being organised by children and families who have been affected by JIA in some capacity. To find out about these inspiring young people and how they are raising awareness and funds to combat JIA, please see the editors notes at the end of this advisory.

There is no cure for JIA and to prevent permanent joint damage, early diagnosis is very important. All too often, JIA goes undiagnosed in many parts of the UK by healthcare professionals and GPs because of this lack of awareness. The more people who are aware of the condition, the greater chance that the next time a child presents with a swollen knee, a possible diagnosis of JIA is considered.

Anne Gilbert added,

“Every stage of a child’s development poses its challenges; and we know that parenting is one of the hardest and most expensive jobs in the world. Many people may not be able to imagine how much tougher that is with a child or young person who is potentially in a lot of pain, suffers with sleep deprivation and is unable to form or keep relationships positive with friends, siblings or peers.

This can be the reality for a child with JIA. Their mental and emotional health can suffer, as can their self-esteem and this can impact longer-term quality of life.”

NRAS provides information and resources for children and families impacted by JIA and also has a dedicated helpline team to offer support and advice. For more information on JIA or if you are interested in getting involved with #WearPurpleForJIA, please visit: https://www.wearpurpleforjia.com/