A young woman who has had arthritis for half of her life has spoken about her journey living with the "isolating condition".

Hannah Roche was first diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of 12 and now at the age of 24, she hopes she can raise awareness of the condition.

“When I was younger, I was so embarrassed, and would never say I had arthritis,” she said.

“But, I've got to a place now where I can be more open to talking about it."

Glasgow Times:

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis is 'an inflammatory joint disease affecting children below 16 years. It causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness,' according to 'NHS inform'.

Hannah added: “A lot of people think it's just an old person disease and anytime I speak about it, people always say oh my gran has that, or I thought you had to be 70 to have that. It can sometimes be a bit disappointing or hurtful.

“There is a lot of misunderstanding about arthritis but, now I use it as an opportunity to educate people.”

Glasgow Times:

Part of that education took place when Hannah held an afternoon tea in her hometown of Airdrie last month to raise money for the charity Versus Arthritis.

She said: "Versus Arthritis is a great charity. They do a lot, they raise a lot of awareness, have campaigns, post a lot on social media highlighting young people can have arthritis as well.

"They're a great charity and it's really close to my heart; so, that's why I picked them."

Charity aside, Hannah has been able to cope with living with the condition thanks to the support of her family including mum Laura, 53, sister Olivia, 21 and dad John, 60 – and even her pet dog.

Hannah said: “A few weeks ago, I was in a lot of pain, and my mum and dad helped in every way, they're a great help and I feel like I don't have to put on a brave face, I can tell them how it is.

"And, even my dog Gatsby, 'Gats' is always there if you're having a bad day he's always there and makes you smile."

Glasgow Times:

Proud mum Laura expressed her delight at her daughter’s fundraiser. She said: “We went through 24 bottles of prosecco, it was fantastic and Hannah made a speech about where the money was going."

Dad john added: “The amount of money just kept getting higher and higher as the night went on."

The afternoon tea raised a total of £902 for the charity which helps raise awareness and help people face the condition.

Versus Arthritis have campaigns and post on their social media to highlight the struggles people with the condition have on a day to day basis; emphasising no one has to face arthritis alone.

Angela Donaldson-Bruce, Director at Scotland Versus Arthritis agrees with Hannah and said: "It's really important that you have a chance to meet other people who know what it is like to live with arthritis and related conditions.

“For people like Hannah, arthritis can take away your ability to work, to move free from pain and to live independently – and it does not discriminate by age.

"Arthritis is often dismissed as something only older people get, or shrugged off as ‘just a bit of arthritis’.

"This can make living with the pain and isolation of the condition very difficult, but no one needs to face arthritis alone.

"We thank Hannah for sending strength to people with arthritis through her incredible fundraising and encourage anyone living with arthritis in Scotland to contact 'Versus Arthritis'.

"You can find local 'Versus Arthritis' support groups here in Scotland, call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520, speak to our Online Community for support, or contact our Young People and Families team on ypf@versusarthritis.org."