The heart-warming story of an eight-year-old girl from Begelly whose fighting against rheumatoid arthritis was featured on national television earlier this week.
Kennedy Peters, a pupil at Saundersfoot CP School, is one of 600 children in Wales to suffer from the disease and her battle against the illness was shown on ITV Wales news on Bank Holiday Monday. Kennedy has had arthritis since she was five and she has had to travel far afield for treatment. Now, there are calls for more services to be located in West Wales.
"Kennedy's arthritis came out of the blue and by the time she was six, she was in a wheelchair," said her mum Jodi, whose younger daughter Alexa doesn't suffer with the illness.
"But thanks to a bit of exercise like swimming, perseverance by doctors and getting the right medicines, she's now got it under control." However, it's the side effects from the drugs Kennedy takes that often cause more trouble than the disease itself.
"She has a poor immune system which means she is susceptible to any infection that is going round and the drugs also make her skin fragile, causing eczema, and stomach problems affect her eating and growth, resulting in her being a little underweight," added Jodi.
Kennedy has disturbed sleep and hates her monthly blood tests which check the effect the methotrexate has on her liver and kidneys. The arthritis also causes uvitis which means the cells in her eyes become 'sticky' which causes scratching on the lens affecting her vision and could end in cataracts.
Kennedy sees around six doctors regularly and has an appointment almost every week. Dr. Camelleri at the Heath Hospital, Cardiff, is her paediatric rheumatologist consultant, while Dr. Coulson, nearer to home at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, also keeps a regular and careful eye on her. Dr. Vas Falco and the Ward 9 team see her monthly and all the information etc has to be passed on to all her doctors.
"We travel between hospitals a lot - Cardiff, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Tenby and Pembroke Dock, and it sometimes means a whole day off school for Kennedy and occasionally, her sister Alexa has to come as well," explained Jodi.
"People in this area are dealing with very, very good doctors, but they just don't have much experience in dealing with children and their special needs and again with physiotherapy," said Jodi.
"It would be great if we could have a children's arthritis unit somewhere in West Wales, possibly Carmarthen, where treatment would be available, and children and parents could meet and talk," she added.
Since Kennedy last had her knees drained, which involves conscious sedation, her mobility is excellent and her wheelchair has been unused for a very long time, but her mum still keeps it in the garage just in case she needs it.
Kennedy tires easily and her back aches because of the way she walks as her ligaments are tight. She has physio at school most days of the week with her learning support assistant Joe Norman, who also takes her swimming.
Water is the best exercise, but care has to be taken to protect her skin, with lots of emollient cream, and eyes with goggles, so she has to be organised, everywhere she goes.
Kennedy's favourite hobby at the moment is rollerblading, which is also extremely good exercise for her, as while it doesn't cause her knees to ache, it allows her plenty of free movement. She also loves trampolining, riding her bike and going to Brownies.
"It is an emotional and financial strain on the whole family and I am grateful for the help and support that Arthritis Care and others give us," concluded Jodi.
For Kennedy's story, she and her mum Jodi were interviewed by Catherine Evan Williams and filmed at home and at Tenby Leisure Centre where she regularly goes swimming.