McLean Family Rallies Around 3-Year-Old With Arthritis

MCLEAN, VA—Last August, 2-year-old Reese Sheers began waking up, saying she was stuck and couldn't move her arms. Then it started happening every two hours, and she couldn't roll over or sit up in her crib. She would get better as the day went on, but the pain would become frequent enough that the family would seek medical help.

It took 10 weeks of tests for doctors to diagnose her with systematic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). According to the Arthritis Foundation, nearly 300,000 American children have arthritis, with JIA being the most common form. For Reese that means inflammations in her fingers, toes, wrists, neck and knees.

Now a 3-year-old, Reese can do normal day-to-day activities with the help of medication. She started out on steroids and at one point took Methodextrate, which treats types of cancer and arthritis. There are some changes to her daily lifestyle: she's not as aggressive in her play, and the steroids can keep her up later than her siblings.

In spite of that, "she continues to be a happy, fun-loving child," her mother, Kelly Sheers, told Patch.

JIA is considered an chronic disease, which treatment could be needed long term. Symptoms can go away for sometime, or be in remission.

"The hope is that some point she can have a year or more of remission and doesn't have to take medication," said Kelly.

While Reese's condition is a challenge for the family, her siblings' responses have been a comfort, Kelly says. Her daughter, Finley, painted Reese in the PTA Reflections: Heroes Around Me contest. Finley, a student at Churchill Road Elementary School, won at the Fairfax County level and advanced to the Northern Virginia level.

Kelly also recalls her kids encouraging Reese to take her medication mixed in applesauce by taking their own bites of applesauce. The kids are already talking about selling their toys to raise money for Reese at the McLean Community Garage Sale.

In recognition of her fight, Reese will be honored at the 2019 Metro DC Walk to Cure Arthritis on May 19 in National Harbor. As an honoree, Reese will help lead the walk. The Sheers family also has its own fundraising team.

The Walk to Cure Arthritis funds research, which Kelly hopes can find more treatment options and easier ways to confirm JIA, such as a blood test.

"We have a strong faith in God. We have great doctors. We have small celebrations [when] we are able to rule out scary diagnoses," said Kelly. "We don't know how this will impact her long term. We celebrate the little things day by day."

Image provides by Kelly Sheers