A&OV Kids and Families Gathering at Collingwood Children's Farm

Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria (A&OV) will be holding a free family day at Collingwood Children's Farm, on 30 March between 11am and 3pm, for children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and their families.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) affects 1 in every 1000 children, and the gathering is an opportunity for children to chat to other kids with JIA, and for parents to also compare notes.

JIA causes joint swelling, severe pain, stiffness and immobility and can affect not only the joints, but the skin and eyes. While treatment can alleviate the symptoms, there is no cure. It is a condition with an unknown cause, and one that can vary in its severity on a day-to-day basis, making it hard for children to explain to their friends, and hard for their parents to deal with.

Said Linda Martin, CEO A&OV: 'Our recent report -A Problem Worth Solving' showed that musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affect 6.1 million Australians that include 1.5 million Victorians. And it's not all older people. In Australia, 54,000 people under the age of 25 are living with arthritis and other MSK conditions."

Alannah Makeham was diagnosed with JIA when she was just three years old. Now 9, she's looking forward to the day at Collingwood Children's Farm.

 'Family days are really fun, enjoyable and exciting," she said.

'We've done so many cool things with A&OV. I'm so grateful for what everyone has done."

For Alannah's parents, Paula and Rick, A&OV family days give them the chance to meet people facing the same issues as them.

'We find the family days and Camp Limber Up extremely valuable. We have met some lovely families along the way and look forward to seeing them at events. We have been given many opportunities for which we are thankful that we would not have had otherwise…days out to brilliant places, fun flights, movies," Alannah's mum Paula said.

'We love to meet other families and compare notes. Most often though, the conversation turns very quickly to normal, everyday things. It's great for siblings to be given the chance to ask questions and have fun too."