Brooklyn Pangemanan loves making slime and sharing videos on instagram of her gooey creations.
She also has juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a condition which affects three in 1000 children in NSW.
Brooklyn has been making slime for two years, and says not only is it fun, it helps relieve anxiety and stress, and is a good exercise for her fingers, which are permanently damaged from arthritis.
The 12-year-old from Winmalee has experienced pain and swelling in her joints for several years, at times rendering her unable to walk. A GP initially diagnosed Brooklyn with growing pains, but as the pain increased, further investigation and eventual diagnosis by a specialist revealed juvenile idiopathic arthritis, an incurable condition.
Regular medication and injections give Brooklyn a much better quality of life.
“Without medication she would be in a wheelchair by her 20s,” Brooklyn’s mum Cindy Upoko said.
Day-to-day life can be challenging for Brooklyn, as there is little awareness among the general community that children can have arthritis too. Her mum says the condition isn’t widely understood among the medical profession either.
That’s why Brooklyn has decided to speak out about her condition as part of an Arthritis NSW campaign to generate more awareness.
“I would like people to be more aware so I don’t have to explain myself all the time. I’d like people to know about it,” Brooklyn said.
“Even at school, if someone were to explain to the class or the whole school so they are more aware. It’s like they don’t believe you ’cause they can’t see it.”
Mrs Upoko said more government funding was urgently needed to employ more specialists, and for support programs for kids such as Arthritis NSW’s Camp Footloose which is funded by donations only.