JA Family Day

August 15, 2008

Kids with arthritis and their families gathered in Tulsa for Juvenile Arthritis Family Day on Saturday, June 14 at Camp Loughridge. This program, presented by the Arthritis Foundation, Eastern Oklahoma Chapter, provided a fun and educational day for kids with arthritis, their siblings and parents.  It served as a great way for families to connect with other families who face similar challenges and share common experiences while participating in enjoyable and informative activities.

Educational sessions for parents were led by a rheumatologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, pediatric psychologist and a pediatric physical therapist.  Some of the topics discussed included medication and research, school issues, family challenges, role of physical and occupational therapy and eye diseases.  Kids’ activities included arts and crafts, fitness, nutrition, obstacle course and teen talk.  Family activities included yoga, ropes course, swimming and canoeing.

          “This program not only gives the families an opportunity to learn from health professionals, but just as importantly the families network and learn from one another.  A parent whose child has had arthritis for several years can be a great source of information, inspiration, and hope to the parent of a newly diagnosed child,” said Alan Martin, M.D., a Tulsa rheumatologist, JA Family Day chairman.

The Arthritis Foundation is devoted to serving the special needs of children, teens and young adults with childhood rheumatic diseases and their families. Parents often are surprised when a child is diagnosed with arthritis, which is a disease typically associated with an older person, yet nearly 300,000 children nationwide are affected by some form of juvenile arthritis, including 3,500 in Oklahoma.  Children and families affected by the disease often feel isolated and helpless in an environment that only sees arthritis as a condition of the elderly.  Therefore, community based activities directed at kids with juvenile arthritis and their families are a very important part of the Arthritis Foundation’s commitment to juvenile arthritis.

Community partners and volunteers who facilitated activities for JA Family Day include Dr. Martin and his staff from St. John Health System; Liesa Persaud from TherapyWorks, M.P.T.; Linda Wilborn and Doug Tolbert from Saint Francis Health Zone; Dr. Steven Groves, M.D.; Teri Bourdeau, Ph.D.; Danielle Martin; and Kristi Bush.

Sponsors for this program were Abbott Immunology, Northeast Area Health Education Center and Bristol-Myers Squibb.  Thank you to everyone who partnered with us and participated in this significant event!