#ThinkJIA is a campaign to raise awareness of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It is aimed at clinicians, parents/carers, schools/nurseries and the general public. Research has shown that low awareness leads to delays in referrals and diagnosis. Prompt diagnosis can lead to better outcomes, so raising awareness is really important.

Low awareness of childhood arthritis can also lead to stigma, isolation and loneliness for children and their families.

Here at Juvenile Arthritis Research, we face an additional challenge of not only raising awareness of JIA, but also raising awareness of who we are and what we do. A common theme we hear from families receiving support from us is that they wish they had known about us sooner.

That’s why we’re teaming up with the OMBLES to help spread the word as far and wide as possible with typically instinctive, brilliant ideas. We can’t wait to see what you come up with and really appreciate your help!

One Minute Brief of the Day:

Create posters to raise awareness that #ChildrenGetArthritisToo and encourage people to #ThinkJIA with @jarproject

Tweet your entries to @OneMinuteBriefs and @jarproject with the hashtags #ThinkJIA and #ChildrenGetArthritisToo

Please include your twitter handle in the corner of your submission so we know who you are when entries get added to the FB album!

Prizes:

Winner: £100 cash prize
Runner-up: Two runners up will each win an organic cotton ethical T-shirt from the JAR shop (including design-your-own option)

About Juvenile Arthritis Research

Juvenile Arthritis Research is a small charity whose vision is a world where no child has to suffer from arthritis. We do this through research, raising awareness and providing support to children and their families affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

We may be a small charity, but we are making a big difference to the lives of children living with JIA.

Context

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (or childhood arthritis)

Around 1 in 1000 children and young people have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (also known as JIA, or ‘juvenile arthritis’). JIA is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s natural defences (designed to stop infections) start to attack the joints. This causes inflammation of the joints, leading to pain, discomfort and reduced mobility. Without effective treatment, it can lead to permanent joint damage and disability.

JIA does not only affect the joints. In around 1 in 5 children with JIA, the eyes can also be affected – a condition known as uveitis. If not treated effectively and promptly, uveitis can lead to permanent sight loss. Regular eye checks are essential for children with JIA.

Some children have to wait over 5 years for a diagnosis of JIA. The primary reason for this is low awareness.

There is no one ‘test’ to diagnose for JIA, which is why a referral to a paediatric rheumatologist is important for a prompt diagnosis.

One of the challenges we face is that there is a common misconception that arthritis only affects older people. Yet, you can get arthritis at any age. Babies, children and young people can all develop arthritis. JIA is not the same as osteoarthritis that is more commonly associated with older people.

Children with arthritis won’t just grow out of it. A diagnosis of JIA stays with a child for life (although some may go into remission, and with prompt and effective treatment the risk of long-term joint damage can be reduced for many).

A diagnosis of JIA can have a huge impact on the whole family. Appointments, scans and assessments can lead to children missing large chunks of time off school and parents having to take time off work. Siblings can feel the strain too of seeing their brother or sister in pain and parents/carers having less time to spend with the siblings.

Whilst medications are really important in treating JIA, they can bring their own burdens. The medication is often injected or administered as a drip. There may be side-effects of sickness and nausea and children with JIA often need regular blood tests to monitor their condition and to ensure the medications aren’t causing harm to other parts of their body.

Children can become fed-up and tired of regularly needing to do physiotherapy exercises. Daily physio is often required and is an important part of treatment.

JIA is sometimes considered to be an “invisible illness” due to the variability of the condition. Some days, a child may appear to be fine and be able to take part in sports and activities and the very next day they may be unable to walk and need to use crutches or a wheelchair.

So all in all, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in the life of a child with JIA in order for that child to lead as “normal” a life as possible.

More information about JIA: www.jarproject.org/myjia

Links for more information

Website link: www.jarproject.org
#ThinkJIA website: www.thinkjia.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jarproject/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarproject
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarproject

Brand colours & Imagery:

Primary: Purple (RGB 102,0,102)
Secondary: Purple (RGB 94, 36, 106)

But feel free to use other colours as you wish. Be as creative as you like! There are a few images below you can also use in your entries but it’s not essential to do so. Stock photography from Unsplash is fine too!!

Brand assets available here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rHFxBV89uLN47atGXELiXL_6dCKEbkZJ?usp=sharing