© 2026 ABC News

Power told \"GMA\" that Emma was her first adolescent patient to face a denial of a methotrexate prescription.

She said she shared it on Twitter as a wake-up call to people that non-abortion related health care was being impacted in a state like Arizona with abortion restrictions.

\"I wanted folks to think about the ramifications beyond the obvious, banning abortion, how it affected women's health in a broader aspect,\" said Power. \"This is health care for women, period. It's not just reproductive health, but it's their health in terms of rheumatologic problems and so many other conditions.\"

Power said she contacted state and federal legislators and the state pharmacy board about the incident, and plans to keep speaking out.

\"We are part of the noise of getting the word out and I think that's how you start to affect change,\" said Power. \"None of my male patients have had methotrexate denied. There's been no issue about getting their refills.\"

This week, the Arizona Medical Association and a physician filed a lawsuit, asking a court to provide clarity amid what they say is \"significant confusion\" over the state's abortion laws.

In July, the American College of Rheumatology issued a statement addressed to policymakers, calling on them to continue to make methotrexate \"accessible.\"

\"Methotrexate remains the standard of care for a variety of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, methotrexate must remain accessible to people with rheumatic diseases, and legal safeguards must protect rheumatology professionals, pharmacists, and patients from potential legal penalties,\" the college said.

Preble said she will continue to speak out and fight for Emma's access to methotrexate because she has seen what a difference the medication has made in Emma's life.

Since being diagnosed at age 3, Emma has faced countless hospitalizations and years of being barely able to leave the house due to pain, according to Preble.

\"PHOTO:
Kaitlin Preble
PHOTO: Emma Thompson, now 14, has faced several hospitalizations since being diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 3.
>

This year, Emma's freshman year of high school, is the first in many years that she's been able to attend fully in person.

Both Preble and Power said it took several years to get the right dosage of methotrexate with other medications to allow Emma to live her life.

\"PHOTO:
Kaitlin Preble
PHOTO: Emma Thompson, 14, of Arizona, was diagnosed at age 3 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
>

\"She's able to walk to her classes. She's staying healthy and getting good grades. She's able to shower on her own, able to stand up and go out to eat if she wants,\" said Preble. \"She's feeling good enough to do those things, where before it was just, 'I want to stay home. I don't feel very good.' \"

\"It fills me with so much happiness to see where she is right now, and I couldn't imagine her not being able to continue where she wants to go in life,\" she added.

ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/mom-speaks-14-year-daughter-denied-arthritis-medication/story?id=91107896","legacySlug":"/wellness/story/mom-speaks-14-year-daughter-denied-arthritis-medication-91107896","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"19:03","publishDate":"10-06-2022","updatedTime":"03:49","updatedDate":"10-07-2022","socialImage":{"alt":"Emma Thompson, 14, of Arizona, was diagnosed at age 3 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.","credit":"Kaitlin Preble","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/Emma-Thompson-1-ht-gmh-221006_1665069653017_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/6/2022 19:03:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":91107896,"headline":"Teen denied arthritis medication post-Roe: Mom","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Girl denied medication amid abortion restrictions_221006","description":"Kaitlin Preble's daughter has battled juvenile idiopathic arthritis since age 3.","duration":"2:19","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/10/221007_gma_digital_abortionmedication_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["90937498","90989866","91033711"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"October 4, 2022","headline":"Biden highlights GOP-led abortion restrictions in 100 days since Roe","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/biden-highlights-republican-led-abortion-restrictions-100-days-90937498","id":90937498,"image":{"alt":"Biden highlights GOP-led abortion restrictions in 100 days since Roe","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/joe-biden-ap-gmh-221004_1664915534496_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Susan Walsh/AP","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"October 4, 2022","headline":"Medical association files lawsuit seeking clarity over abortion laws","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/arizona-medical-association-files-lawsuit-seeking-clarity-abortion-90989866","id":90989866,"image":{"alt":"Medical association files lawsuit seeking clarity over abortion laws","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/arizona-abortion-hanger-protest-02-gty-llr-221004_1664914333943_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"October 5, 2022","headline":"Federal judge orders Texas attorney general to testify in abortion lawsuit","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/federal-judge-orders-texas-attorney-general-testify-abortion-91033711","id":91033711,"image":{"alt":"Federal judge orders Texas attorney general to testify in abortion lawsuit","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/paxton-ap-er-221005_1664985826632_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Tony Gutierrez/AP, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Teen denied arthritis medication post-Roe: Mom","description":"Kaitlin Preble's daughter has battled juvenile idiopathic arthritis since age 3.","duration":"2:19","uploadDate":"10-06-2022","publication":"10-06-2022","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/10/221007_gma_digital_abortionmedication_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2022/10/221007_gma_digital_abortionmedication_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/mom-speaks-14-year-daughter-denied-arthritis-medication-91107896"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132714218","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132701634","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132706335","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132675442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132665875","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132628890","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132569874","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132567885","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:wellness:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"wellness","title":"Teen denied arthritis medication post-Roe: Mom","pubTime":"15:03","pubDate":"10-06-2022","modTime":"23:49","modDate":"10-06-2022","taxonomyTags":"none","id":91107896,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Teen denied arthritis medication post-Roe: Mom","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Girl denied medication amid abortion restrictions_221006","videoId":91107896,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/wellness/story/mom-speaks-14-year-daughter-denied-arthritis-medication-91107896"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/91107896","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/91107896","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};