With medication,

When you see 9-year-old Anthony Stephens running around his St. Charles neighborhood, he looks like any other kid having fun in the summertime. 

But, until recently, he was hurting with a rare form of arthritis. 

A year ago, he missed the beginning of school because his knee was swollen. When he did get back to class, he had to use a walker. 

His form of arthritis is called Reiter's Syndrome. The genetically-based illness is usually triggered by another sickness. 

In Anthony's case, he suffered food poisoning. In addition to having an upset stomach and diarrhea, arthritis was triggered in one of his knees. 

It took six months of steroid treatments to get the knee swelling and pain down. Since then, the arthritis has been kept under control with a milder anti-inflammatory medicine. 

His mother Christa said, "We're thinking that maybe by next summer, he won't have to take any other medication. When he gets over it, we may never see it again unless something else triggers it." 

Christa said, when the disease broke out, Anthony was sad. "He'd say, 'Why do I have to have this,'" she said. Since the disease has diminished, "he's handled it better," she said. 

Anthony said, when he got sick, "my knee hurt real bad." He said, "It was really hard for me to get up. I was dizzy a lot. I kept going to sleep; I was so tired." 

"But, I'm just about over it now," he said. 

Last month, he attended a 4-day Joint Adventure Camp for kids with arthritis. Now, he's looking forward to other summer activities, such as swimming in his backyard pool with his friends. 

He's also thinking about normal things for kids his age. Concerning a career, he said, "I want to be a famous policeman." He also says he doesn't have any girl friends. 

He has no restrictions on what he can eat. Like boys his age, he's often hungry, his mother said. 

The Reiter's Syndrome form of arthritis occurs only in males. In most cases, it doesn't show up until a boy is in his teens or is an adult. Unless some other illness triggers it, a boy or man with the special gene may not ever get this type of arthritis. 

Christa said, "Arthritis is rampant in my family but no one has this type of the disease." 

Because of his problem, Anthony has seen his share of doctors. But, he said he can now watch the doctor put the needle into his arm to draw blood. "But, I want him to use my left arm because I'm right handed," he said. 

The illness didn't set him back in school. During the time he was out of school, he had a tutor. His mother said, "The tutor kept him ahead of the class." 

Anthony said his classmates "were good to me" when he came back to class with his walker. "A lot of them asked him how he got the disease. I told them I got food poisoning," he said. 

"I told them I have to be sure my food is all-the-way cooked or I can get it again," he said. 

During last school year, Anthony was restricted in the physical education and sports at school. But, he's hoping next year he can join in.

This fall, he'll be a third grader at Monroe Elementary School in the St. Charles School District.