Alex welcomed us into his home by making us a cup of tea and telling us about the mock GCSE he'd sat that morning. He's sociable, bright and has tons of interests. His education and social life should be the same as any other 15 year old.
But Alex has a disease called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It compromises his immune system, causes joint pain and inflammation, among other symptoms. It means that on any given day, he could be unable to attend school.
His school – Harris C of E Academy – previously loaned AV1s from Warwickshire County Council and Great Ormond Street Hospital, before buying three of their own. This means they can support Alex, and other students with persistent absence, as soon as the need arises. This ensures that illness doesn't stop their students from missing any lessons or conversations with friends.
As Alex told us, he keeps up with his studies and even sits in the lunch hall through is AV1 robot, giving him the school experience he is entitled to.
A huge thank you to Alex, his family and the school for sharing their story.
