Sienna Zwar dreamed of competing in equestrian sports at the Olympics.
The now 19-year-old spent much of her adolescence showjumping and even competing in national competitions across regional NSW.
But chronic pain in her neck, back and legs has ended her dream of going further.
"My goal in life was to be an Olympic showjumper," Sienna says.
"And it was crushing to not be able to do that."
Chronic pain in Sienna's neck, back, and legs has shattered her dream of competing in equestrian sports at the Olympics. Source: Supplied / Melissa Goodson / Sienna Zwar
But she also has suffered from chronic pain since the age of five. More recently, it became so severe that she was forced to stop showjumping and sell her beloved horse, Tinkerbell.
Sienna's house in the NSW south coast town of Berry is filled with mementos of her passion for horses.
A portrait of a horse hangs in the living room, and a rocking horse sits in the corner.
Sienna's painting captures her emotions surrounding losing her dream of competitive riding. Source: Supplied / Sienna Zwar
"I'm on a surgical table, and the crow above represents death looming over me," she says, holding her support cat Luna.
"It represents how you feel when you're in a lot of pain."
Then she pointed to the horse skull on the ground.
"That's a horse, a dead horse. It represents how what I wanted to do with horses, in a way, has died. I'm not able to do it anymore," she says.
Sienna still rides for fun and enjoys time with her horse Atlas, who is agisted on a nearby property.
Sienna continues to ride for enjoyment and cherishes her time with her horse, Atlas, who is agisted at a nearby property. Source: SBS News / Mahnaz Angury
Impact of chronic pain on children
Chronic Pain Australia says pain can be so intense for some children that even mundane tasks become unbearable. This can lead to many students compromising their education.
Nicolette Ellis, chairperson of Chronic Pain Australia, says: "For children who suffer with chronic pain, 22 per cent of schooling is missed."
"We know that from a developmental point of view, anything more than 10 per cent of missing school really impacts developmental conditions and the way that they thrive in life."
New research from Chronic Pain Australia revealed one in five children live with chronic pain. Many of those who do attend school struggle further if their pain is dismissed.
"A recent research article looked at teacher perceptions of children with chronic pain. Around 20 per cent of those teachers didn't believe the child was in chronic pain and thought it was more to do with not wanting to be at school or not wanting to engage in education," Ellis says.
Australia only has six paediatric pain clinics nationally, and most cap referrals at roughly 250 per year, according to Chronic Pain Australia.
This means the average wait time for a child to get an appointment is between one and three years, which may lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Chronic Pain Australia says under-resourcing in this space can have serious consequences and is calling for tailored programs in the health system and schools to better support children suffering from chronic pain.
Professor Manuela Ferreira says it's important to determine the best ways to care for those suffering from chronic pain through additional research. Source: Supplied / Bill Green/Manuela Ferreira
"Back and neck pain do not discriminate with age," Ferreira says.
"So, through more research, we need to work out how to best care for [people suffering chronic pain] in each age group."
Sienna says for far too long, her pain was put down to 'growing pain', leading to years of unnecessary suffering.
Sienna says her pain was often dismissed as "growing pains", causing her years of unnecessary suffering. Source: SBS News / Mahnaz Angury
She hopes that by speaking out, she can also support others suffering in silence.
"I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through. I don't think it was fair. Children with chronic pain need to be believed."
