Arthritis and Me: An Illness Is One Thing, but My Life Is Everything

My name is Monique McKenzie, and I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since age six. The doctor that diagnosed me informed me that I would be in a wheelchair and no longer able to walk at fifteen. By the grace of God, I am thirty years old and still standing and determined to pursue my career in event planning. I have struggled with having RA growing up because I was not able to involve myself in sports while in school like other kids could, but that never stopped me. I continued to keep myself active and involve myself in various clubs and organizations, so that I may feel part of a team. I have made mistakes and been in unstable relationships that caused me to lose my character and at times my self-respect. I am also a single mother with no sounds or whereabouts from my baby’s father and have struggled raising my child on my own for ten years. I continue to live my life with no regrets, only because it made me who I am today and moving forward is the only way I remain going!