We would like to congratulate our 2025 winner – Conor Rudge

In Conor’s own words:

At age 7, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This autoimmune disease affects multiple systems in my body, including my joints, hearing, vision, and gastrointestinal health (IBS). At one point, I was under the care of 9 different specialists. I missed a significant amount of school, especially in grades 4 and 5, while my care team worked to stabilize my condition, and again during COVID-19, during a flare. I’ve tried my best to balance school with ongoing fatigue, stomach pain, joint issues, and flares. After moving between in-person and virtual learning several times, I eventually settled on virtual school, which offered me the flexibility to manage my health. I have had to learn to advocate for myself with teachers, doctors, and at fundraisers to help raise donations for The Arthritis Society.

Medications have been a challenge early in my diagnosis. Thankfully, my primary rheumatic medication (Amgevita) has been stable for the past several years. However, this year I’ve been working with my doctor to find the right mental health medication, which has been difficult. I’ve done my best to overcome this by actively seeking help through cognitive behavioural therapy and reaching out when I need support.

Despite my rheumatic condition being “in the green”, as Dr. Tse says, my IBS and mental health continue to be a challenge. Despite this, I have been focusing on what I can control and doing my best to remain active and healthy. I enjoy lifting weights and hiking on the trails in my new community of Brantford. Though I am in Virtual School, I do my best to remain engaged and achieve high academic results.

I am hopeful that one day, there will be a cure, and I can go off my meds, and that is why I continue to participate in four research studies. These studies require me to fill out many surveys related to my illness and quality of life, in addition to keeping track of my bloodwork and scans. These studies will continue as I transition from pediatric to adult care.

When I was first diagnosed and missed a great deal of school, I was allowed to play Minecraft as my parents thought it was somewhat educational/artistic. Here, I excelled at the game but, more importantly, found a community. My drive is evident in my academic grades and my video game awards. Last year, I was awarded Minecraft Build of the Year 2024 and Minecraft Builder of the Year 2024 from my peers in the gaming community.
For the past three years, I have volunteered at the Daily Bread Food Bank, which involved manual labour in the warehouse and sorting food donations. I have also been involved with the Purolator Food Drive, where we walk a neighbourhood to deliver bags for the community to fill with non-perishable food, and then the next week, we pick them up. This meaningful work is helping to feed those in our community who are hungry, and I am grateful I can contribute.

I will attend Wilfred Laurier University in the fall to study psychology with a teaching option, to be either a therapist for youth or a high school guidance counsellor. I have been fortunate to have had a therapist and a guidance counsellor when I was newly diagnosed, who both helped me navigate my new life. I hope to one day have the same impact on someone in need.

As I near graduating in the coming weeks, I reflect on my accomplishments, rather than setbacks, and I am proud of my hard work and resilience. Having JIA is something I will continue to navigate in the future, but it will not lessen my goals. 

Thank you for considering me for the prestigious Dr. Bonnie Cameron Scholarship.

Conor Rudge