When Adrianna Lyons became ill, her mother, Michelle took her to a nearby hospital.

“They diagnosed Adrianna with strep throat,” explains Michelle, who lives in Fairfield. “But after three visits and several weeks on medication, my daughter was getting worse, not better. She was having trouble moving, much less walking. Her joints were stiff, and her hands were curling up.”

Michelle’s mother’s instinct kicked in, and she took Adrianna to see Amanda Kleese, a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner at Washington County Hospital. “Almost immediately, Amanda thought that Adrianna had some form of juvenile arthritis,” Michelle remembers.

Tests confirmed the initial diagnosis. More specifically, Adrianna had systematic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a rare form of arthritis.

“The fact that Amanda was so spot-on with her first diagnosis speaks volumes about her expertise and knowledge,” Michelle says.

Adrianna is still under treatment, but her recovery so far has exceeded all of the expectations of her care team. In fact, she even ran track in the spring for the Fairfield Middle School Trojans.

“The first year of treatment is going to be critical for Adrianna, but we’re hopeful the disease will go into complete remission!” Michelle says. “We’ve transferred our medical records to Washington County Hospital, and Amanda is now the primary care provider for our three children. Our family believes 100 percent in Washington County Hospital!” “We’ve handed the baton over to Washington County Hospital.”