do it! ‘Arthritis matters to me’ Twenty-three years ago, Ellen Philips was featured in Inspire’s forebear, Arthritis News. Here, to tie in with Arthritis Care Week, she tells her story – and why arthritis matters to her Ihave had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 19, and I am now 67. Arthritis matters to me because, in a way, it has shaped who I am. I had to give up paid employment when I was 30 and this was a big blow. That was before the Disability Discrimination Act came into force and employers had to make reasonable adjustments to help keep disabled people in work. Arthritis research was making advances in new drug therapies and with better treatment I was able to consider having a family. My husband and I were soon blessed with our lovely daughter. It was a big decision and I was concerned how I would cope with a baby but, with help from others and a will to succeed, I managed fine. I had an article published in the 1983 winter edition of Arthritis News entitled ‘Coping with a baby’, in the hope that it would encourage other women who were in a similar position to me to believe that it was something that they could do and that problems could be overcome. Now, 33 years later, I am blessed with two beautiful granddaughters aged two and a half and three months. I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying being a gran, and I’m obviously really glad that we took the chance to go ahead with our plans to have a family. It can be done. My arthritis has deteriorated over the years, as it does, so I am unable to lift my grandchildren or help with nappy changes, but I can sing and play with them – all the good bits, really! When my daughter went to school, I looked for some voluntary work that I could do, and finished up training to be a volunteer adviser with the Citizens Advice Bureau. That was 27 years ago, and I still love it. It has filled the gap that not being employed has left. It also acts as my hobby; when others play bowls or go to the gym, I have my bureau work. Having arthritis has opened up this wonderful world to me and I feel fulfilled. We cannot do everything, but we can do something. Were you a winner? Why #ArthritisMAtters Congratulations to Adrian Bell from Birmingham who was our lucky winner of £50-worth of John Lewis vouchers after entering our online prize draw for completing our survey. More than 2,000 people shared their experiences of living with arthritis. We’ll be using the results to raise awareness of the issues people face living with arthritis during Arthritis Care Week (14-21 May). there's still time to share your experiences with us – we’re particularly interested in talking to people who delayed seeking help because it didn’t occur to them that they had arthritis or because they didn’t think arthritis happened to people of their age. Get in touch with us here Adrian Bell Were you a winner? In case you missed it online, here are the names of the winners of our Christmas raffle, which helps to raise vital funds to support people with arthritis across the UK. First prize £2,500: Miss G of Leicestershire second prize £1,000: Mr p of Lancashire third prize £500: MrcofKent runners-up, £50 M&s voucher: Mr p of northamptonshire, Mrs s of Kent, Mr G of Buckinghamshire, Mr o of devon, Mr p of Leicestershire Runners-up, £25 Next voucher: Mr c of Kent, Mrs G of Gloucestershire, Mrs L of cheshire, Mrs G of London, Mr d of nottinghamshire, Mr M of Bedfordshire, Mr G of Gloucestershire, Mr s of staffordshire, Mr n of sussex, Mrs J of Glamorgan. Well done to all.