It's a condition more associated with the elderly than youngsters, but arthritis currently affects 27,000 young people in the UK. Sally Watt was 11 when she was diagnosed with the debilitating joint disease, but the 27-year-old from Stafford says nothing is going to stop her enjoying life to the full, writes Liz Rowley .

PLAYTIME was never easy for Sally Watt. The 27-year-old from Wild Wood, Stafford, constantly suffered aches and pains, but it wasn't until she was 11 that she finally knew the cause.

"When I was six I fell over at school and developed a problem with my wrist that kept coming back," she explains. "I went to the fracture clinic at Stafford Hospital because they thought I might have broken it or chipped a bone, but they couldn't find anything wrong. My GP suspected arthritis, but because it's such a difficult thing to diagnose in children, I ended up paying to see a rheumatologist when I was 11, who confirmed I had Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)."

A painful and debilitating joint disease, arthritis affects almost 30,000 young people under the age of 25 in the UK. And while many develop symptoms between the ages of two and six, it's almost impossible to diagnose.

"I had blood tests for arthritis when I was six but it doesn't show up in young people's blood," explains Sally, who lives with her parents Philip, aged 60, and Julia, aged 56. "I had x-rays as well, but it's only if you looked at them now and compared them over the years that you'd see anything definite."

Although JIA is not classed as an hereditary condition, arthritis does run in Sally's family. Her uncle recently died at the age of 65 after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when he was 49, and her mum has just been diagnosed, although doctors are unsure if she has osteoarthritis or rheumatoid.

Sally says: "My uncle was only young when he died but as far as I'm aware, there's no reason why I can't live a long life with this particular condition."

Talking to Sally, it's hard to envisage the difficult and uncomfortable life she leads. A classically trained singer, she has completed both an undergraduate and masters degree in music, and makes a point of seeing as many gigs as she can.

"Going to the MEN or the NEC doesn't bother me because I have my scooter and if people get in my way then I just mow them down," she laughs. "I've seen Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney and I've seen the Red Hot Chili Peppers about six times. I don't let it stop me having a good time, but I can panic if I'm walking in crowds without my sticks."

There's not doubt Sally, who's a volunteer for Arthritis Care, makes the most of her life. But acknowledging her bubbly, outgoing personality should not detract from her day-to-day struggle.

She says: "I had a wheelchair when I was 13, although I didn't use it when I was at school, and I had my sticks when I was 17. I had one of my knees replaced in May, which was brilliant, and I had a finger joint replaced in 2004. I'm going to have my other knee replaced at some point as well as both my hips, which is a bit of shock because I thought I'd be in my 30s or 40s when this happened."

Although Sally's mobility has slightly improved, when her arthritis flares up it can leave her in agony and unable to move for weeks, if not months, at a time.

"Stress can bring it on and when it does flare up I can't move," she says. "I normally wake up and find it's there in the morning. I have to call my mum in and she will put my tablets in my mouth for me and give me a drink. My hands are really affected now so I can't pick very small things up, but mum is fantastic and generally looks after me until it calms down."

Taking a cocktail of drugs, including anti-inflammatories and pain killers, Sally is more than able of leading an independent life, but says her family are always on hand.

"I'm rubbish in the morning, but while I can shower myself I sometimes need help getting dressed," she says. "My mum will make sure she's around upstairs just in case I fall, but my dad and older brother, Chris, are great too."

Hoping to become a part-time music lecturer, Sally still has high hopes for the future, and thinks it's important that other youngsters suffering a disability understand that things are possible.

"You're never going to get better but you learn to live and cope with it," she concludes. "I've got a boyfriend now and it's important that young people know they can lead a normal life and have a normal relationship. But it's vital that we raise awareness of this because growing up with a disability can be hard."

To learn more about Arthritis Care visit call the helpline on 0808 800 4050.