Reclaim what arthritis has stolen
Arthritis devastates lives, stealing mobility, independence, and mental well-being. It affects 6 million people in Canada — 1 in 4 women, 1 in 6 men, and 25,000 children. This serious health crisis demands our attention today.
This Arthritis Awareness Month, let’s break the silence, dispel the myths, and take action to ensure arthritis no longer steals what matters most.
Real stories, real losses
Diana's story
Diana: Arthritis stole the joy of holding my first child.
Diana had lived with constant, undiagnosed pain since her teenage years. At 33, while pregnant with her first child, the pain became unbearable. “My body felt like it was burning. I couldn’t get out of bed or walk to the bathroom. I could only move my neck. I worried about how I would care for my baby,” she recalls.
Her doctor assured her the pain would subside after childbirth. However, two weeks after her daughter was born, the pain became excruciating. “I couldn’t nurse or hold my baby,” she says. Debilitating pain, limited mobility, and fatigue persisted for seven months until Diana was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
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Navigating early motherhood is challenging, but for those like Diana, dealing with rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups makes it a test of physical and mental endurance. The intense pain and inflammation made even simple tasks, like changing a diaper, feel insurmountable. This physical toll was compounded by the emotional strain of feeling inadequate in providing care for her baby.
Arthritis had stolen the joy of being a new mom. Moments of happiness were overshadowed by frustration and guilt, as Diana struggled with not being the active, engaged mother she wanted to be. The demands of her professional career added further stress, as she strove to maintain high performance.
Today, 18 years after her diagnosis, Diana has found a way to live with rheumatoid arthritis, balancing her love of family, career, and health. Her greatest concern remains the impact on her children. “I want my girls to see their mom as strong and resilient. I want my journey to show that strength is not just physical but also about the courage to face challenges and the wisdom to seek balance. I will always have pain in my life. I accept that and work hard every day to stay grounded and accomplish all the things I set out to do. And I will.”
Gilbert's story
Gilbert: Arthritis stole my income.
As a truck owner-operator, Gilbert is no stranger to physical labor—tying down cargo on flatbed trailers, wrangling heavy straps, laying out protective tarps, and handling truck repairs. Starting in his 50s, osteoarthritis took a toll, making his work nearly unbearable. “I have less mobility, flexibility, and strength, and it’s difficult to bend my knees,” he shares. “I used to do a lot of repairs myself, but now I can’t bend under the truck or kneel down.”
For a long time, Gilbert thought his pain was normal and that over-the-counter painkillers and cortisone shots were his only options. At his family’s urging, he finally sought a referral to an orthopedic surgeon who confirmed he needed both knees replaced. It was then that Gilbert realized his pain wasn’t something to just push through – that if he’d seen a specialist sooner, he could have had a better outcome.
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Long waitlists add to Gilbert’s pain. He is losing precious time at the job he still loves as arthritis steals more of his mobility. “After waiting two years, I finally had my right knee replaced. Now I’m on another long waitlist for my second knee. The pain and strain have forced me to reduce my work hours and give up some physical tasks,” says Gilbert. “I still love my job and am not ready to retire.”
Karam's story
Karam: Arthritis nearly stole my life.
Born with an adventurous spirit, Karam never imagined arthritis could steal the life she loved.
Before her diagnosis, it was clear something was wrong. Karam would wake up stuck in one position, waiting for her stiff, painful joints to loosen. Things escalated to include fevers, hearing loss and difficulty breathing. Declining rapidly, Karam was hospitalized and diagnosed with vasculitis, a rare condition associated with inflammatory arthritis attacking her organs and tissue.
“My world fell apart,” says Karam. “I was horrified. I love the outdoors—hiking, skiing, scuba diving. I thought, ‘That’s it! My life is over.’”
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Karam has endured a harrowing journey: a shocking cardiac arrest, intensive care, rehab with a walker, then a cane, and a slow ongoing recovery.
Arthritis has stolen more than Karam’s physical health. Unable to work for over four years, she’s experienced a huge financial hit, losing her footing on her career ladder and falling behind in the rapidly evolving IT industry. With her treatment plans, unpredictable symptoms and immune-compromised health, Karam lost the opportunity to create memories that she would have made travelling and spending time with family overseas.
Managing invisible symptoms, Karam struggles with being misunderstood. “I look normal; it’s really hard to explain,” she says. “It’s overwhelming, all-encompassing, sheer exhaustion. The pain is excruciating. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Having to rely on others for basic tasks some days leaves Karam feeling vulnerable. But she refuses to let arthritis dictate her life; adapting, Karam believes her passion for life will drive her progress. “But the reality is that my health always has to come first, something I previously took for granted,” she says.
Pamela's story
Pamela: Arthritis stole the things that brought me happiness.
At just 10 years old, Pamela was called a liar by her gym teacher. “How do you have arthritis? You’re 10. Stop lying,” the teacher said.
But Pamela’s pain was real. She had already been diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 8 — after years of being dismissed with “growing pains.” “It hurt to walk. I couldn’t do things in gym class like cartwheels,” she remembers.
Arthritis doesn’t disappear. Now in her 50s, Pamela has lived through eight joint replacements — shoulders, hips, knees, elbows — and is preparing for a triple ankle fusion in both ankles.
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Arthritis has stolen so much: “I’ve lost the things that helped me cope — like hiking and dancing. That loss affects my mental health. It’s not just pain anymore. It’s grief.”
When Pamela lost her husband, everything fell on her shoulders: caring for her kids, cleaning the house, paying the bills. Time off during flare-ups wasn’t an option anymore. “I have to work to support my family. I have to push through the pain. I can’t afford to go off work.”
As a mental health professional working reduced hours to accommodate her health, Pamela draws strength from helping others who live with arthritis. She says, “I’ve turned my struggles into something that empowers people and gives them hope.”
Robert's story
Robert: Arthritis stole the career I worked my whole life to build.
Robert had thoughtfully mapped out the next steps in his career as a mechanic and trades instructor. It was a future he had taken decades to design. What he hadn’t predicted was how suddenly it would be shattered, because of arthritis.
“I was reaching the peak of my game, looking at career advancements coming until it all ended before it was supposed to,” he says. “Retirement? Gone. There was no celebration. Twenty-five years in and I had to step out the door.”
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Robert’s arthritis began in his knees, but his hands soon followed. In a career where the use of one’s hands is monumental, there was no option for him. Arthritis had denied him that choice.
“It’s ironic that I spent my career using my hands and teaching people how to avoid hand injuries, and now I can’t make a fist,” Robert says. “I can’t use my hands well enough or walk far enough to do my job. I’ve had to take disability. Arthritis has stolen my ability to work in my chosen career.”
Tina's story
Tina: Arthritis stole my ability to be a part of society.
Numerous surgeries and nearly a year spent waiting for the next one. Tina is no stranger to the enduring agony of arthritis; she was born with hip dysplasia and began showing signs of arthritis in her 20s. Now 56, Tina has severe osteoarthritis, which “presents like that of an 80-year-old”, according to her physician.
Always in pain, Tina has had to give up the possibility of working and can no longer go grocery shopping without relying on the help of others. She lives with the ongoing fear of being isolated and having to depend on others to take care of her. “I feel like arthritis has robbed me of my humanity and sense of being.”
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Exhaustion plagues her and the pain leaves her feeling emotionally drained, impacting her mental health, social life and relationships. “I feel as if I am always on a day pass — and that my autonomy and mobility are time-limited, with no idea when I’ll no longer be able to care for myself.”
After her family doctor recommended hip replacement surgery, she waited nearly a year for a date. “The frustration of having a clear solution but no timeline was overwhelming.” Now that she’s had her surgery, the pain in her hips has improved, but arthritis continues to wreak havoc on many of her other joints, and future surgeries will be required to maintain her level of mobility.
Tucker's story
Tucker: Arthritis stole my mobility.
“Arthritis has stolen so much from me,” Tucker shares, reflecting on its profound impact on his daily life. He now relies on aids like a shower chair and kitchen stool and avoids stairs altogether. “There’s no predicting arthritis. And what surprises me is how much worse my symptoms have gotten over time.”
Tucker began experiencing debilitating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms at age 21—severe swelling, excruciating pain, and relentless fatigue. It took two years, after worsening symptoms and a second blood test, for Tucker to finally receive the diagnosis he desperately needed.
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Employment was impossible until Tucker started his own business. “Everything is impacted by my RA. Everyday tasks are challenging, and socializing is rare due to pain and fatigue.”
“People can’t see what’s going on in my body and often assume I am able-bodied,” Tucker explains. Despite these challenges, Tucker runs a successful business, thanks to the support from friends, family, and the community. “I am very fortunate for their support. It keeps me motivated and able to make ends meet.”
Zac's story
Zac: Arthritis stole my teen years.
Zac was a star high school athlete when arthritis came for him at age 16. The diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was devastating.
“I was lost. It was debilitating. I couldn’t button up a shirt, put on shoes or shower. It completely changed my life.” The disease caused significant weight gain, stiffness and limited mobility.
By the time Zac accepted a sports award just a few months later, he needed a walker to cross the stage.
“I was very healthy before I got arthritis. To get sick and lose the ability to play sports, lose confidence, get bullied and ridiculed…it destroyed my teen years. I lost all my friends, I became isolated.”
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Zac worked through this dark time by learning how to adopt a fitness routine that considered his limitations. As his symptoms improved, his passion pivoted his career aspirations from taking over his family’s bakery to opening a personal training studio in 2018, Forge Fitness. This journey was temporarily halted when a life-threatening complication from arthritis, Macrophage Activation Syndrome, put everything on hold in 2021. “I was given a 30% chance of survival. I thought I was going to die and began to say goodbye to my family.” Thankfully, Zac recovered, and months later, went on to open an expanded studio in 2021.
“Anything can happen at any moment. It’s important for people to realize how debilitating arthritis can be and that people need support.”
How you can help
Arthritis is a pressing issue that affects millions of Canadians. Your involvement can make a lasting difference.
Here’s how you can take action today:
