A three-year-old girl has been diagnosed with arthritis after doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as 'just growing pains'. Skyler Smith began experiencing leg discomfort in early 2024, but her mother, Elaine-Maree Telfer, 31, was repeatedly reassured there was no cause for alarm.
Over 18 months, Skyler underwent three ultrasounds, an X-ray, two MRIs, countless blood tests and a steroid joint injection before doctors identified juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), Hoffa's Fat Pad (HFP) herniation and Trigger Thumb. Despite the diagnoses, the JIA remains incurable, and Skyler continues to suffer from pain and treatment side effects including night-time pain, stomach ache, diminished appetite and nausea.
Elaine-Maree, a kennel assistant from Murray, Scotland, said: 'I searched up how rare it was to have all three conditions but she's one of a kind. It just makes her all that more special. It was a huge relief when she was diagnosed, to know what it was after being told for so long it was nothing to be concerned about.'
JIA affects just one in 1,600 children, while HFP is so unusual in children that no statistics exist. Skyler's symptoms began at 18 months old, and it was only after a lump appeared in her knee that further investigations were carried out. Elaine-Maree had to challenge a GP who dismissed the symptoms without examining the lump, leading to referrals to specialists.
Skyler now receives weekly methotrexate injections with anti-sickness medication and folic acid supplements. Elaine-Maree added: 'No one's told us how long it'll last, it could be years, it could be forever. She'll always have the diagnoses but can go into remission and get taken off medication.'
