Four cousins from Holmes Chapel will be taking part in the 1km fun run at Colshaw Hall in Over Peover to raise awareness of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Four year old Rosie Kozyra will be supported by her big sister Lauren and cousins Megan and Robyn as she takes on her first sponsored running event on Sunday.

It’s no small feat for Rosie, who deals with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) on a daily basis.

The chronic condition causes painful joint inflammation meaning the one mile run will feel more like a marathon to Rosie’s body.

Rosie is one of 12,000 children in the country who have JIA, however it remains a relatively unknown and under-supported condition.

Rosie’s symptoms started at just 21 months old when she was diagnosed with 12 inflamed joints and a nasty limp, just weeks before her second birthday. Since then the family have worked hard to make life as comfortable as possible for Rosie.

Her mum Clare Kozyra said: “There is nothing worse for a parent than seeing your child in pain so Rosie’s diagnosis was a real double edged sword for us.

"It was heartbreaking learning that this condition wouldn’t go away quickly, yet equally we were relieved to finally have a diagnosis and medicinal ways of managing Rosie’s pain.”

Now almost three years on Rosie is officially in 'remission on meds' meaning she has no active arthritis.

To maintain this brave Rosie has to have three injections and one dose of folic acid every week.

She also has to endure regular blood tests and eye checks as it is common for children with JIA to also develop uveitis, a painful eye condition.

Rosie is also being monitored by Manchester Children’s Hospital at their blood clinic as her red and white blood cell counts aren’t what they should be.

“We are so proud of Rosie for taking on this fun run and she has already raised almost £500 through sponsorship,” said Clare.

“Despite her condition, Rosie almost always has a smile on her face and she’s determined not to let JIA hold her back.

"She started school this year and has coped incredibly well with the extra tiredness and exposure to lots of germs!

"We hope her run will continue to raise awareness of JIA and the research needed to help us better understand and treat this painful condition.”

The Colshaw Hall Fun Run will be the third time the Kozyra family has raised money for JIA via NRAS, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. All of the money raised goes towards supporting children and families affected by JIA.

Donations are welcome at justgiving.com/fundraising/Clare-kozyra3