Teenager with juvenile arthritis conquers Yorkshire Three Peaks to support Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

A 14-year-old boy who once feared he might have to give up sport after being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis has conquered the Yorkshire Three Peaks with his family, raising almost £4,000 for other children living with the condition.

Fynn Sheldon from Burnley completed the challenge with his family on Friday 31 July, walking all three peaks within 12 hours to raise money for children receiving specialist rheumatology care at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. His story comes as Pain Management Awareness Month (September) highlights the impact that pain can have on people living with long-term conditions.

Fynn’s Story

Fynn, who loves rugby, football and judo, was just 13 when his family first noticed that his knee had become swollen in April 2025. Initially, they thought it could be linked to the amount of sport he was doing or simply growing pains, but when he returned home from school one day with a very swollen knee, his family knew something more serious could be wrong.

Fynn was admitted to his local hospital over the May Bank Holiday weekend, where his knee was drained and he was treated with antibiotics while doctors worked to rule out different possible causes.

He was eventually referred to the Rheumatology team at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Over the following months, Fynn and his family travelled back and forth to Manchester while doctors trialled different treatments, including oral steroids and steroid injections, as other joints began to swell.

After around eight months of tests and uncertainty, Fynn was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in December 2025, by which point five of his joints were swollen.

Speaking about his condition, Fynn said: “When I first got it, I thought it was linked to sport. I tried to play football and I could barely run. I thought something must be up, and then I realised my knee was swollen.

“When I was first in hospital, I thought it was just a random swelling, but the longer I was there, I started thinking, ‘What’s happening here?’ When I got diagnosed, I thought, ‘Am I going to have to give up sport?’”

Fynn was started on intravenous steroids and methotrexate, which he now takes through a weekly injection. Since starting treatment, his joints have not swollen again.

While his diagnosis initially left him worried about whether he would be able to continue playing sport, Fynn has remained determined to carry on with the activities he loves. He is also preparing for his GCSEs, studying History, Spanish and Triple Science.

His mum, Sarah, said: “Fynn is incredibly brave. I think he must have a really strong pain threshold because he didn’t notice a lot of the restrictions that were happening with his joints. He just gets on with things.

“The hardest part was all the uncertainty. When he was diagnosed, there was a lot of relief in finally having an answer, but it was also frightening because Fynn loves his sport and we didn’t know what the future would look like for him.”

Flynn’s Fundraising

The family wanted to find a way to give back to the hospital team that had supported Fynn throughout his diagnosis and treatment, while helping raise awareness of juvenile arthritis and the impact of chronic pain on children and young people.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge was something the family had wanted to do for some time. In July, Fynn, Sarah, his dad Dave and his younger brothers completed the challenge together, walking for around 11 and a half hours to finish the route within their 12-hour target.

Sarah said: “We wanted to do something as a family and raise money for rheumatology because we’ve seen first-hand what a difference the team can make.

“The fact that Fynn is doing what he’s doing, taking his medication and carrying on kept us going too. Dave, Fynn’s dad, is the one who keeps everyone going when things feel hard. He somehow manages to do this despite managing Crohn’s disease himself, which brings its own difficulties and pain. We were doing it for charity, but we were also doing it for all the other children and families going through similar experiences. That is what kept us going throughout the difficult periods.”

Fynn added: “The doctors and nurses at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital helped me and my family so much. They always explained things and made me feel supported. I did this challenge because I want to help other kids like me and say thank you to everyone who helped me get back to doing what I love.”

Our Fundraising Officer Anna Rosehill said: “We are incredibly grateful to Fynn and his family for taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge and smashing their original sponsorship target to raise such an amazing amount.

“Every single penny they have raised will help us support children and families receiving rheumatology care at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

“We’re so grateful to Fynn and his family for turning their own experience into something that will make a difference for other children and families.”