Jennie Garth was shocked to be diagnosed with arthritis when she was just in her 40s. The mother of three couldn’t believe that she had a disease that most people consider an older person’s ailment. Even with the shocking diagnosis, it didn’t compare to how astonished the actress was when her daughter was diagnosed with a similar disease at a young age.
At only 5 years old, Garth’s daughter Lola suffered from a lot of pain. Since her daughter was so young, the celebrity was unsure of what to do. As Lola’s pain continued to increase, Garth continued to search for answers. The actress’s family eventually had their questions answered when Lola’s pain became so severe that she had to spend several days at the hospital.
‘One Of The Hardest Things I Ever Had To Go Through’
“She actually had a rare type of inflammatory arthritis called Still’s Disease,” Garth shared in an interview with People. “Seeing my daughter suffer was one of the hardest things I ever had to go through.”
It was also a trying time for Garth’s entire family. The actress has three children with ex-husband Peter Facinelli. Although her daughters are now teenagers and adults—Lola is now 19, Fiona is 16, and Luca is 25—the experience is one that they’ll never forget. “It was definitely a hard time for our whole family,” Garth reflected. “[Lola] was in the hospital for quite a number of days and received treatment there.”
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Thankfully, the celebrity’s daughter responded well and fully recovered. She’s now living pain free and no longer exhibits symptoms of Still’s Disease.
Pain Can Be A Symptom
After Lola’s suffering ceased, Garth herself began experiencing pain in her 40s. The actress eventually went to the doctor when her symptoms didn’t let up. Fortunately, Garth didn’t have to spend days in the hospital to receive a diagnosis.
“I was sort of shocked to hear that news from my doctor after going in and complaining about some pain in my knees and my hips and different places around my body and wondered what was going on,” Garth remarked.
“And I was shocked to hear the word arthritis come out of his mouth. Because I kind of associate arthritis with…I’m not old enough to have arthritis. Let’s put it that way. You can have arthritis at any age and I wasn’t really aware of that,” she admitted.
The 50-year-old star’s story is a great reminder that pain can be a symptom, not a fact of a life. When something is wrong, we should have it checked out. Whether you’re in your 40s with pain or have a young child that is suffering, Garth shows us that we must advocate for ourselves and our families. Age doesn’t determine our health.