A GRADUATE from one of the universities in York has chosen to share her story to inform others on the difficulties of living with arthritis.

Previously a student at the University of York, Izzie Clough, has lived with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis for 13 years.

Izzie hopes that by sharing her story through the ‘Its not alright, its arthritis’ campaign, other young people will begin to understand what it is really like to have a chronic illness at university.

Izzie, 22, said: “I had a major flare up in my third year and had to start my masters with steroid injections.

“One of the hardest things is the fatigue. Fear of missing out is such a real thing, but it’s important to accept that you have to look after yourself first.

“I’ve become more confident talking about my condition, but in the past, I told very few people.

“I’d have to ask for deadline extensions at uni, and I remember being really worried about sharing a fridge, because that’s where I keep my medication.”

The campaign, organised by Versus Arthritis wants to challenge the misplaced assumption that the condition is “just a bit of wear and tear,” and inevitable; something only old people get. Thirty per cent of those living in England live with a musculoskeletal condition.

Versus Arthritis has joined forces with Global Radio as part of a combined effort to shine a light on how the condition steals the fundamentals of life.

The campaign tells the moving stories of people living with arthritis who have been robbed of the things most people take for granted - intimacy, independence or even the ability to work and earn a living.

Arthritis currently affects over 10 million people in the UK, two thirds of which are under 65.