A Young Woman’s Battle with Juvenile Arthritis
The name Zoe in Greek means “life,” which Zoe Zeerip embodies through her work with environmental organizations and a life spent outdoors. Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 13, she has spent the last decade learning to not only manage the disease, but thrive with it. She is an active mountain and road biker, Protect Our Winters field representative, and a master’s candidate at the University of York in England. Through Joint Effort, she hopes to inspire people around the world that an active life can be possible with arthritis.
Zeppelin Zeerip is a filmmaker, writer, and snowboarder who is drawn to stories of humanity’s relationship with our rapidly changing world. With a keen eye and sharp ability, Zeppelin has honed his craft to manage, shoot, produce, and collaborate on stories — and turn them into impactful content across multiple platforms and mediums. He is the founder of Field Work Creative and a member of the Protect Our Winters Athlete Alliance.
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Part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation
Zoe Zeerip was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age 13, after enduring a year of mysterious symptoms and misdiagnoses. After spending much of her teens in denial about her arthritis, she began to embrace advocacy and raise awareness for the challenges of living with arthritis as a child and young adult.
Here is Zoe’s story, produced and shot by her older brother Zep.
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300,000 children and teens in the U.S. have juvenile arthritis. Zoe Zeerip never thought she would be one of them.
At 12 years old, Zoe started experiencing severe aches and pains in her wrist, knees, and back. She was using wrist braces and crutches and attending physical therapy several times a week to manage the pain. After a year of seeing various doctors, including a six-month wait to see a pediatric rheumatologist, Zoe was finally diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.
Zoe hopes Joint Effort will help other children and teens with arthritis and their families know they are not alone and can get through this. “I hope to inspire others to take charge of their story and to not be ashamed of something they cannot control,” she says.
About Joint Effort
Michigan-based siblings Zoe and Zeppelin Zeerip teamed up to make Joint Effort as part of their mission to help other families navigate the world of juvenile arthritis. The name Joint Effort has multiple meanings. “First, it refers to my joints and the continuous effort that I must put into maintaining them and using them so I can live the life I want to lead,” says Zoe. “Second, it has an underlying tone of community. If we can all embrace our shared struggles, then we are joined not only through a shared disease, but a shared strength.”
‘This Jailer Cannot Hold Me’: An Warning to My Childhood Arthritis
Here are Zoe Zeerip’s slicing words to the arthritis that robbed her of her youth, changed her identity, and helped make her who she is today.
Here's Why You Need 1 to 3 Chronically Ill Friends
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A Parent’s Guide to Caring for Children with JIA
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When comparing growing pains and juvenile arthritis, there are notable differences in patterns and frequency of pain as well as other symptoms.
Here's Why You Need 1 to 3 Chronically Ill Friends
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Joint Effort
“At such a young age, the hardest part was accepting that I had a new disease that was now a part of my identity. I remember being in denial because I didn’t want sympathy. My immediate reaction was to be tough. Over time this is changing and I am learning to embrace my disease and story.”
— Zoe Zeerip
'Made to Move': How I Came to Defy and Embrace My Juvenile Arthritis
Here are Zoe Zeerip’s slicing words to the arthritis that robbed her of her youth, changed her identity, and helped make her who she is today.
‘Joint Effort:’ A Short Depiction of My Lifelong Relationship with Juvenile Arthritis
A Q&A with Zoe Zeerip about the film she and her brother Zeppelin made to show the rest of the world how a juvenile arthritis diagnosis changes your family’s entire life.
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More Resources
Caring for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA): A Parent’s Guide
This comprehensive document is meant to help all parents and caregivers of children managing their JIA disease journey.
Is It Growing Pains or Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis? Key Ways Parents Can Tell the Difference
You expect your child to complain of aches and pains when they have a cold or the flu, or even after a particularly active day. But what if there’s no obvious cause for their pain?
‘Treat-to-Target’ Prevents Bone Damage in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
This aggressive treatment strategy might be the best way to manage arthritis in children.
CreakyJoints is a digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers worldwide who seek education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We represent patients through our popular social media channels, our website www.CreakyJoints.org, and the 50-State Network, which includes more than 1,500 trained volunteer patient activists.
As part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, CreakyJoints also has a patient-reported outcomes registry called ArthritisPower® with nearly 30,000 consented arthritis patients who track their disease while volunteering to participate in longitudinal and observational research. CreakyJoints also publishes the popular “Raising the Voice of Patients” series, which are downloadable patient-centered navigational tools for managing chronic illness. For more information and to become a member (for free), visit www.CreakyJoints.org. To participate in our patient-centered research program, visit www.ArthritisPower.org.
About Zoe and Zeppelin Zeerip
