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A family-of-five has been shaken by an 18-month journey to diagnose their youngest child’s rare and life-changing medical condition.

Skyla Smith, 3, was less than two years old when she developed a chronic pain in her legs that would often reduce her to tears - a pain she has now lived with for almost half her life. Skyla’s mum, Elaine-Maree Telfer, repeatedly took her daughter to the doctors in search of a diagnosis, but she did not expect Skyla’s condition to take 18 months to determine.

“I kept being told it was just growing pains,” Elaine-Maree, from Portnockie, northeastern Scotland, said. “But, as a mum, it was so hard to see her in such distress.”

Skyla was diagnosed in October 2025, a year and a half after her first doctor’s visit for the issue, with medics eventually discovering the three-year-old had Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

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The condition, which affects 1 in 10,000 children in the UK and is more common in girls, causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack its own joints. Without intervention JIA can cause irreversible, long-term damage. Skyla’s delayed diagnosis has left her family with complicated feelings.

“It was a huge relief to finally find out what the problem was,” Elaine-Maree said. “But then there’s a lot of anxiety as well.”

Skyla’s reality now looks very different to those others of her age. She now has to have weekly injections of methotrexate - a potent medication used to suppress the immune system - alongside anti-sickness drugs and folic acid to manage side effects. Regular blood tests and ongoing medical appointments have also become a common occurrence in Skyla’s and Elaine-Maree’s day-to-day lives.

“Skyla hates having the injections which I give her at home every Friday. She doesn’t understand why she has to have them but other children don’t. I try to bribe her with things, such as giving her a sticker straight afterwards, but it’s not easy.” Elaine-Maree said.

While the injections have helped with the pain, Elaine-Maree explains that Skyla still has good days and bad days: “Skyla sometimes doesn’t like to walk as far as other children but she loves playing with her friends,” she said. “She also does ballet and attends the local nursery.”

Elaine-Maree, her partner David and their older children Leo, 11, and Jax, 8, are determined to give Skyla the best childhood possible, despite the difficult nature of her condition. Juvenile Arthritis Research, a charity which aimed to make a difference to the lives of those affected with JIA, has supported the family since Skyla’s diagnosis.

Elaine-Maree, with the help of Juvenile Arthritis Research, is determined to raise awareness of this condition and offer her advice to parents in a similar situation. According to the charity, delays in diagnosis are common due to a lack of awareness.

“It’s something I’d never heard of - and I think it’s the same for a lot of people,” Elaine-Maree said. “When you tell someone that your daughter has arthritis, a common response is, ‘I thought it was just old people that get that.’”

Elaine-Maree hopes Skyla’s story can raise awareness with other parents who have children with similar symptoms. The 31-year-old has some advice for other families. “If your child is repeatedly moaning and crying about being in pain, start a diary and make a note of the time, the dates and the symptoms.

“I’d also suggest filming these incidents. It helps prove to specialists that the problem is more than just growing pains.”