Two relatives of young girl with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis walk East Highland Way for charity
Two intrepid relatives of a young Lanarkshire girl who suffers from Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) embarked on a testing trek to raise funds for charity.
Little Addison Hutchison, two, of Hamilton, was diagnosed with JIA when she was just 14-months-old.
The youngster is bravely battling the condition, which causes joint pain and inflammation in the hands, knees, ankles, elbows and/or wrists, and inspired her dad Alan's uncle Jim and Jim's uncle Hugh, both from Airdrie, to walk the East Highland Way in aid of the Scottish Network for Arthritis in Children (SNAC).
Addison's gran Sandra Hutchison told Lanarkshire Live: "Addison is such a brave wee girl and Jim and Hugh wanted to support a charity doing its bit to tackle JIA.
"Addison has to take methotrexate every week and amgevita every fortnight.
"The colder weather can be a challenging time for her due to the autoimmune disease.
"She had to have steroid injections to help make her walk at first but soon found her feet.
"And Addison loves dancing , horse riding and swimming. She's a wee fighter and tries hard to not to get down."
Jim, 52, and Hugh, 76, raised a fantastic £1410 for the SNAC charity from a walk that wasn't without its challenges.
Sandra explained: "The first couple of days were tough for Jim and Hugh as it was during the heatwave, so they were really put through their paces.
"But they completed the 86-mile route in an impressive four-and-a-half days and collected £1410 for SNAC, who provide information, practical help and emotional support for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their families.
"The whole family wishes to congratulate, and thank, Jim and Hugh for completing the East Highland Way walk and raising so much for the charity; and we would all also like to thank everyone who donated to the final total for their kindness and support."
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