PC West Senior Suffers From Rare Chronic Condition

Last Friday’s annual Patriot Cross Country meet drew more than 2,000 high school runners from 34 schools to Route 66 Park. 

Putnam City West High School senior Jaci Adams ran in the race, but she couldn’t finish.

Adams suffers from what doctors call severe juvenile fibromyalgia. It’s a condition that causes severe pain throughout a person’s body.  

Adams said it mostly affects her back, and unfortunately, it’s a condition that will only get worse. 

Putnam City West High School track coach John Miller said Adams has been an inspiration for him to coach the past four years.

Monday afternoon, Adams confided to her teammates for the first time the real reason she’s been sluggish, and unable to finish races.

Her mother Christie Adams said she couldn’t be more proud.

“I want to take her pain away, because I see what she goes through. And a lot of people say she looks healthy, what’s wrong with her? They have no idea. And she’s such a private person, she doesn’t want people to know, she doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her,” Christie Adams said.

Jaci Adams is a National Honor Society student, who plans to study journalism and education in college. This spring, she plans to be a manager on Putnam City West’s track team.