By Maryangela Layman Román, Catholic Herald Staff

Abby Chossek’s blond pig tails bobbed as she chased her 18-month old sister, Sydney, across the living room floor.

“Tag, you’re it,” she laughed as she tapped the younger girl on the shoulder.

The last word a visitor would likely associate with the petite, blue-eyed 3 year old, as she ran, rolled and cavorted in the living room of her family’s south side home, would be arthritis.

Arthritis is a disease that afflicts the elderly, right? Yes, but surprisingly to many, including Abby’s parents, Ben and Wendy, it also can affect children, even those as young as 2 — Abby’s age when she was first diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Learning their child had a challenging illness for which there is no cure was emotionally difficult, but the Chosseks decided one way to cope was by becoming involved in the search for a cure.

Abby, a K-3 student at St. Gregory the Great School, Milwaukee, is the poster child for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, a 5K run, and fun walk at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday, Nov. 12 to benefit the Arthritis Foundation.

For the first two years of her life, Abby was a normal, healthy child whose only health concerns were food allergies and eczema, a skin ailment that causes rough and flaky patches, according to Wendy, a member of St. Gregory the Great Parish, and a lifestyle consultant for the Laureate Group. But by age two and a half, Abby had developed a limp that wouldn’t go away and she frequently wanted to be carried.

Abby went through a battery of medical tests to eliminate possibilities such as Lupus or Lyme Disease. After about three or four months of tests – and right about the time Sydney was born – doctors had ruled out what Wendy called “the big problems.” Abby was diagnosed with pauciarticular arthritis, an illness that affects four or fewer joints. In Abby, it causes stiffness and swelling in her knees, elbows, ankles and toes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, juvenile arthritis affects about 285,000. Like other forms of arthritis, it goes through cycles of getting better and worse, and at times is in remission. During flare-ups, however, the disease is more active, causing pain and swelling.

Calling the diagnosis “eye-opening,” the Chosseks wrote in a brochure promoting the Jingle Bell Run/Walk, “Like so many people we were unaware that children could be affected by arthritis and spent many worrisome nights learning about the disease and how it would affect our daughter. Seeing Abby struggle through the pain and challenges associated with JRA was an emotional period for our family.”

Abby has tried different medications to ease the pain and swelling in her joints. Currently it is controlled with an oral medication that she takes three times a day, but Ben, in an interview with your Cath-olic Herald at the family’s home, ex-plained that it is not uncommon for a medication to work for a while, but then to become ineffective. Because her symptoms have recently worsened, Abby will undergo a different treatment soon.

To help her, Ben and Wendy have made adjustments within their home. Abby sleeps downstairs because climbing the stairs was painful. Each morning after she wakens, the couple massages her joints and places a heating pad on them to help her. Staff at St. Gregory have also been helpful, noted Wendy. On the days Abby is in too much pain, her teacher will push her to Mass in a stroller so she won’t have to endure a long, painful walk from her classroom to church.

Because her immune system is weak, Abby’s teachers also alert Wendy to the health of the other children, hoping to prevent Abby from getting ill.

Because of the pain she experiences, Abby – and in turn her parents – don’t get much uninterrupted sleep. According to Wendy, Abby rarely sleeps more than two hours at a time each night.

In spite of the challenges of the illness, the Chosseks refuse to dwell on the negatives. Instead, they’ve taken a proactive approach to helping their daughter, relying on faith and common sense.

“Our family strongly believes in the power of prayer,” said Wendy, describing how Abby is the focus of prayer groups across the state, including those involving relatives in the Green Bay and Fond du Lac areas.

An active, athletic family, the Chosseks have placed added importance on getting Abby involved in physical activities. She swims twice a week and has taken dance and gymnastic lessons.

Keeping active doesn’t allow her joints to stiffen, explained Ben, the defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Lutheran College football team and the chairman of the school’s physical education department.

“If she sits still and is not moving, her joints will get stiff,” he added. Abby’s arthritis has been a challenge, admitted Ben, who played on the 1992 and 1995 NCAA Division III national championship UW-La Crosse football team.

“As a parent, you’d like to think you can control everything involving your children, but this has helped me realize we don’t always have control,” he said, adding, he also believes “everything happens for a reason.”

By participating in the Arthritis Foundation, Wendy said they not only gain support from other families going through the experience, but they can help support research that might lead to a cure.

Abby is part of a study of the illness through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“If it doesn’t affect Abby negatively and if it might help someone else, it is worthwhile to do,” said Ben, explaining the couple’s reasoning in allowing Abby to participate in the study.

The couple noted they’ve been thankful for the support from the St. Greg community. Several parishioners will participate on the team “A Joint Effort for Abby,” and St. Gregory School is hosting its own walk for students on Nov. 6 to raise awareness among the school community.

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