WarwickOnline.com
WARWICK, R.I. — Six-year-old Ethan Gustafson of Warwick wants to be a firefighter someday and is out to prove that juvenile arthritis won’t stop him.
Thanks to the Warwick Fire Department and the Arthritis Foundation, Ethan enjoyed a special tour of Fire Station One in Apponaug last Thursday in support of his battle against arthritis.
An active first grader who enjoys rollerblading and playing hockey, Ethan was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis when he was only three years old. His condition is an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body’s organs and tissues. This particular form affects about 10 percent of children with arthritis and begins with repeating high fevers that are often accompanied by rashes. Symptoms also include the inflammation of the internal organs and joints, causing severe pain.
Full story: Arthritis can’t douse boy’s firefighting dreams