Pain turned into pages with book on children’s arthritis
A mother with arthritis has turned the pain of learning her daughter has the same condition, into a new children’s book to raise awareness.
Lynsey Knight who works for UK Power Networks has suffered from arthritis since she was a baby and found out Mia suffers from the same condition.
She has written and self-published 'Why do I hurt? A JIA Story’ as part of her campaign to raise awareness for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), supported by the charity Arthritis UK.
All profits made from the book sales will go directly to the charity whose world-leading research continues to change the understanding of arthritis conditions, paving the way for a future free from arthritis.
The business analyst from Southminster, Essex has suffered from arthritis since she was 18 months old and is now 41. When it came to light on Christmas Eve 2019 that her seven-year-old daughter, Mia had the same condition; Lynsey was left devastated.
JIA is a long‑term condition causing inflammation in one or more joints before the age of 16 and affects an estimated 10,000 children in the UK alone. It leads to pain, swelling, stiffness and sometimes fatigue or recurrent fever.
Living with arthritis can impact on all aspects of a child’s life as well as their families.
The exact cause is unknown, but JIA is understood to be an autoimmune disease, where the immune system mistakenly triggers inflammation in the joints.
Early diagnosis is very important. With treatment, most children can manage symptoms well, and many see significant improvement as they get older.
Since Mia’s diagnosis, Lynsey has been passionately campaigning and raising awareness for JIA, bringing attention to the condition.
She said: “I constantly get shocked reactions when people find out that Mia and I had arthritis from such a young age.
"The most common comment is ‘aren’t you too young to have arthritis?’ or ‘you can’t have arthritis; only older people get that.’
“We do get a lot of judgement as well from people and I have had heard comments such as ‘you were fine yesterday’ or ‘I saw you walking around last week so it can’t be arthritis.’
“Raising awareness is important to me to ensure there is more understanding of the condition.
"I want to educate others about autoimmune diseases and how debilitating they can be.
"I want to change people’s mindsets from making assumptions about certain conditions only affecting a certain category of people.
"I know many people cannot empathise with this condition unless they have it themselves, however, to have a degree of understanding and awareness will make those living with JIA feel a lot more accepted, supported and included in all aspects of society, from a young age.”
When Lynsey was first diagnosed with arthritis, her own mum hadn’t known that children could develop arthritis, or that it involved the immune system.
Throughout Mia’s journey, Lynsey and Mia’s dad Lee met many parents whose children were newly diagnosed with JIA who often felt blindsided and overwhelmed, having had no idea that children could have arthritis.
Lynsey hopes the children’s book will help parents explain to their children what is happening to their joints and what their journey could look like.
“It’s bad enough that parents have to try to understand JIA, but how do you explain JIA and the immune system to a toddler?” Lynsey said.
Arthritis UK Young People and Families Service team – who provide support for young people and their families living with rheumatic conditions all over the UK - fed into the copy for the book.
Lynne Woolley, Head of Young Peoples and Families at Arthritis UK said: “I am so grateful to Lynsey for producing this incredible book, and to Mia for sharing her story so openly to support others like her in aid of Arthritis UK.
“Lynsey’s book, Why Do I Hurt? A JIA Story, is such a valuable resource for children and their families navigating a Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) diagnosis, while also helping to raise vital awareness of the condition and the impact it has on the lives of children and young people.
“There is a common misconception that arthritis only affects older people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With an estimated 10,000 children under 16 in the UK living with a JIA diagnosis, it’s a stark reminder that anyone, at any age, can develop arthritis.
“We thank Lynsey and her family for all the time and effort that has gone into producing this fabulous book and for donating all proceeds to Arthritis UK to help work towards a future free from arthritis.”
UK Power Networks is committed to matching the fundraising efforts of Lynsey’s book as part of its community matters initiative, that saw over £465,000 raised for charity in 2025.
Published: 10/03/2026
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Lynsey Knight who works for UK Power Networks has suffered from arthritis since she was a baby and found out Mia suffers from the same condition.
She has written and self-published 'Why do I hurt? A JIA Story’ as part of her campaign to raise awareness for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), supported by the charity Arthritis UK.
All profits made from the book sales will go directly to the charity whose world-leading research continues to change the understanding of arthritis conditions, paving the way for a future free from arthritis.
The business analyst from Southminster, Essex has suffered from arthritis since she was 18 months old and is now 41. When it came to light on Christmas Eve 2019 that her seven-year-old daughter, Mia had the same condition; Lynsey was left devastated.
JIA is a long‑term condition causing inflammation in one or more joints before the age of 16 and affects an estimated 10,000 children in the UK alone. It leads to pain, swelling, stiffness and sometimes fatigue or recurrent fever.
Living with arthritis can impact on all aspects of a child’s life as well as their families.
The exact cause is unknown, but JIA is understood to be an autoimmune disease, where the immune system mistakenly triggers inflammation in the joints.
Early diagnosis is very important. With treatment, most children can manage symptoms well, and many see significant improvement as they get older.
Since Mia’s diagnosis, Lynsey has been passionately campaigning and raising awareness for JIA, bringing attention to the condition.
She said: “I constantly get shocked reactions when people find out that Mia and I had arthritis from such a young age.
"The most common comment is ‘aren’t you too young to have arthritis?’ or ‘you can’t have arthritis; only older people get that.’
“We do get a lot of judgement as well from people and I have had heard comments such as ‘you were fine yesterday’ or ‘I saw you walking around last week so it can’t be arthritis.’
“Raising awareness is important to me to ensure there is more understanding of the condition.
"I want to educate others about autoimmune diseases and how debilitating they can be.
"I want to change people’s mindsets from making assumptions about certain conditions only affecting a certain category of people.
"I know many people cannot empathise with this condition unless they have it themselves, however, to have a degree of understanding and awareness will make those living with JIA feel a lot more accepted, supported and included in all aspects of society, from a young age.”
When Lynsey was first diagnosed with arthritis, her own mum hadn’t known that children could develop arthritis, or that it involved the immune system.
Throughout Mia’s journey, Lynsey and Mia’s dad Lee met many parents whose children were newly diagnosed with JIA who often felt blindsided and overwhelmed, having had no idea that children could have arthritis.
Lynsey hopes the children’s book will help parents explain to their children what is happening to their joints and what their journey could look like.
“It’s bad enough that parents have to try to understand JIA, but how do you explain JIA and the immune system to a toddler?” Lynsey said.
Arthritis UK Young People and Families Service team – who provide support for young people and their families living with rheumatic conditions all over the UK - fed into the copy for the book.
Lynne Woolley, Head of Young Peoples and Families at Arthritis UK said: “I am so grateful to Lynsey for producing this incredible book, and to Mia for sharing her story so openly to support others like her in aid of Arthritis UK.
“Lynsey’s book, Why Do I Hurt? A JIA Story, is such a valuable resource for children and their families navigating a Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) diagnosis, while also helping to raise vital awareness of the condition and the impact it has on the lives of children and young people.
“There is a common misconception that arthritis only affects older people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With an estimated 10,000 children under 16 in the UK living with a JIA diagnosis, it’s a stark reminder that anyone, at any age, can develop arthritis.
“We thank Lynsey and her family for all the time and effort that has gone into producing this fabulous book and for donating all proceeds to Arthritis UK to help work towards a future free from arthritis.”
UK Power Networks is committed to matching the fundraising efforts of Lynsey’s book as part of its community matters initiative, that saw over £465,000 raised for charity in 2025.
Published: 10/03/2026
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