Abby Ferraro has been the face of arthritis since 2011. Her knee became swollen when she was 19 months old. It hurt to walk and crawl, and she woke up at night crying in pain. The diagnosis took 4 weeks, 11 x-rays, 9 vials of blood, 2 blood cultures, 6 visits to 3 different doctors and the CHOP emergency room, and 3 weeks of antibiotics to rule out Lyme disease. She was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in her right knee, ankle, and pinky toe. This was just the beginning of a medical journey that would also lead to diagnoses for uveitis and Crohn’s disease.

Abby has been very fortunate. Although she has a lot going on medically, she has relatively mild versions of all of her conditions. She has many friends who struggle with more severe symptoms or who are still trying to find the medicine that will get their diseases under control. Abby hopes her book brings awareness for all of her fellow warriors and gives them hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

Abby lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her parents and three dogs. She loves gymnastics, school, dance, swimming, and music. She always enjoys learning new things and is currently learning to embroider and sew.