Olivia’s Story

Hi my name is Olivia Salituro and I am 5 years old. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in May of 2018 when I was just under 2 years old. My first symptoms were limping and a red swollen ankle. After visiting a few doctors, I was finally referred to the rheumatology team at Sick Kids hospital, where I met Christine O’Brien and Dr. Schneider. I was so brave during my first visit, which lasted 6 hours and consisted of blood work, ultrasounds and x-rays. The doctors all commented on how cooperative I was for such a young girl.

The first medicine I was on was anti-inflammatory medication called Naproxen, weekly methotrexate injections at home and folic acid. I have had over 156 injections of methotrexate over the past three years. I have been able to collect two full necklaces of bravery beads which represent all of my visits, procedures and medicines I have taken. I didn’t always like the needles, but I have a great big sister who would always distract and make me laugh, my mommy to bear hug and my daddy who learned how to be the best nurse and gently give me my injection. Now I am very used to it and I understand that it is making me stronger and feel better. I go to Sick Kids every 3-4 months for checkups, labs, scans and ultrasounds to make sure the medicine is helping me. Most recently, my labs have shown little to no disease in my joints! I am so happy that my family and I are able to share our story with other families who are going through the same thing. I want them to know that everyone at Sick Kids is there to help you get better and connect with a community of JIA patients.