MEET BRIDGET

Bridget is a 20-year-old who is going places; she is a junior in college who is double majoring in Biology and Psychology. These degrees will help her achieve her long-term goal of becoming a genetic counselor. When she isn’t working towards her long-term goals, Bridget reads books, hangs out with friends, and calls her family. She is also the co-president of her college acapella group, and an RA for freshmen.

Unlike the other individuals featured in our All-Call for Kindness, Bridget is a young adult who grew up on the sidelines of chronic illness. When Bridget was four, her younger sister, Rhiannon, was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. She credits her experience as a sibling to why she approaches everyone with empathy and inclusivity.

Bridget has spent the last 5 years developing and leading sibling sessions at the National Juvenile Arthritis Conference. “The whole point of the sibling program is to shine a light on the sibling experience.” Each year at the conference, Bridget meets with all of the arthritis siblings and leads round table discussions where siblings can talk and relate to each other. She helps siblings learn that they have a voice, and that they can pull from their personal experience to advocate for themselves and help others.

In the summer of 2021, Bridget and her mother were recipients of the Arthritis Foundation’s Steve and Liz Smith Legacy Award. This achievement is awarded to longstanding members of the juvenile arthritis community who have dedicated themselves to helping those affected by arthritis and have left a lasting impact doing so.

Thanks to Bridget’s work, the Arthritis Foundation has added the Sibling Sub-committee to the conference planning committee. This new sub-committee solidifies the importance of the sibling sessions, and ensures that they will be a staple of the conference for years to come.