Arthritis Foundation takes painful steps toward awareness

Now that his dad had made the introduction at the Polo Grill & Bar in Lakewood Ranch Sept. 14, it was time for 4-year-old Reece Gardner to acknowledge the crowd at the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run Kickoff Luncheon.

About 75 sets of eyes turned to look at Reece, who is the Youth Honoree for the Dec. 3 event at Lakewood Main Street.

Reece had other ideas. He did what any 4-year-old would do in such a circumstance. He climbed down off his chair and disappeared under the tablecloth.

His antics drew chuckles from those in the crowd. A normal reaction from a little kid.

His mom and dad, Jessica and Adam Gardner of East County, say most people have no idea Reece is anything other than a normal 4-year-old. In most ways, he really is.

Except Reece Gardner has to live with arthritis.

A normal month for Reece might mean eight injections for medication, having his eyes checked for the many maladies arthritis can cause, getting his blood drawn, dealing with the effects of one leg growing faster than the other and hoping a minor cold doesn't develop into something major because his immune system has been negatively affected. The family beats a regular path back and forth from All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

"It can be overwhelming," said Jessica Gardner, who is a fourth-grade teacher at Southside Elementary in Sarasota.

About a year ago, Adam Gardner noticed one of his son's knees was swollen. Adam, who also works for Sarasota County Schools as a computer technician, and Jessica realized quickly something wasn't right and they started to see doctors in search of answers. Eventually, they received the verdict. Reece had arthritis.

"We had no idea juvenile arthritis existed," Jessica said. "Once we found out, we had an assumption it was something he would grow out of."

They quickly were put in touch with the Arthritis Foundation, which sent the Gardners a welcome bag. Included in the bag was a teddy bear that Reece loves dearly. It showed the Arthritis Foundation had a human side.

Along with the teddy bear came a wealth of information. Arthritis covers more than 100 conditions. One in five Americans has arthritis. Two-thirds of those with arthritis are under 65. More than 300,000 children in America live with arthritis.

The Gardners learned how to live as a family with a child suffering from arthritis. It can be tough for a parent to know if his or her 4-year-old doesn't want to go to the park because he is just acting like a 4-year-old, or because he is having pain in his joints.

They learned from personal experience, and from meeting other families who are navigating the world of arthritis themselves.

"We didn't know there were so many cases out there," Jessica said. "There is a network. People share their personal stories."

Jessica and Adam decided to share Reece's story and accepted the designation as Youth Honoree for the Jingle Bell Run.

"We want people to know this exists," Adam said. "It affects people right here in our community. There is so much to learn. Kids can have this and not be properly diagnosed."

Those who want more information about being a sponsor for the Jingle Bell Run, or about participating, should contact Melissa Hughey at [email protected]. The Gardners will be running, although Reece said dad is a little faster than mom.

The parents looked down at their 4-year-old and laughed.

"We take it one day at a time," Adam said.