Juvenile Arthritis

Madison and Milwaukee now have a Juvenile Arthritis Family Network! JAFN is a monthly networking meeting for families who have a child living with juvenile arthritis.

To find out more about the group's new presence in Madison, WI, download the JAFN informational flyer! For more information on the Milwaukee JAFN, contact Liz Truax.

Meetings are on Saturdays from 10 - noon and consist of speaker and discussion time for parents and swimming and social time for the kids.

Would you like more information about the Arthritis Foundation, juvenile arthritis (JA) and local JA-related activities? Fill out this informational form and return it to Karen Sawicki, Community Services Manager at the Arthritis Foundation office in Milwaukee, WI.

Kids' Zone - Local E-newsletter for Juvenile Arthritis

Kids' Zone is the bi-monthly Upper Midwest Region’s juvenile arthritis-focused e-mail newsletter. For exciting information about juvenile arthritis, Camp M.A.S.H., juvenile arthritis conferences, Juvenile Arthritis Family Network (JAFN) meetings and research updates, join the juvenile arthritis mailing list.

Family Fun Day is Feb. 25!

Come and join us at the Arthritis Foundation Upper Midwest Region 11^th Annual JA Winter Family Day and meet other families who have a child with JA or renew friendships made at last year’s event.  Children will be able to see their friends from mini-camp and Camp M.A.S.H. (Make Arthritis Stop Hurting).  Our special event will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Country Springs Hotel and Resort in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.  The children will be entertained by volunteer chaperones with special activities while the parents meet and listen to other parents talk about some of the concerns they live with daily.  Parents will also have the opportunity to learn about some of the other JA activities offered by the  Upper Midwest Region and the Arthritis Foundation.  For more information, check out the Family Fun Day brochure and print out the registration/release form.

Contact:
Karen M. Sawicki
Toll-free (800) 333-1380
Direct (414) 329-4603, Ext. 208

Camp M.A.S.H. (Make Arthritis Stop Hurting)

Download the 2012 Camp M.A.S.H. brochure

Camp M.A.S.H. is a six day residential camping experience for children ages 9 to 17 years old that have some form of juvenile arthritis or related condition. Emphasis is placed on opportunities for involvement in activities the camper may not otherwise experience, such as swimming in an outdoor warm water pool, arts and crafts, dances, comedy skits, games, sing-a-longs, and cookouts. It also provides the campers the opportunity to learn about their disease and talk to medical professionals and other campers about living with arthritis. It is held at the Easter Seal Center for Camping and Recreation, Camp Wawbeek, in the Wisconsin Dells area. Camp is staffed by full-time camp directors, nurses, counselors, certified lifeguards and other auxiliary staff. Tears of joy flow as the campers arrive when they see friends they had not seen in a year and again when they leave because they cannot believe camp is ending and it may be another year before they see their friends again.

Many of the volunteers are former campers who return to camp each year to provide a new generation the same great experience they had as a child.  Still not sure you want to send your child to camp! Read four testimonies from former campers who are current volunteers, express their feelings on camp and why they are glad that their parents gave them this opportunity.  

To find out more about Camp M.A.S.H., watch the slideshow from last summer!

For More Information Contact
Karen Sawicki
ksawicki@arthritis.org
Toll-free (800) 333-1380
Direct (414) 329-4603, Ext. 208

National Juvenile Arthritis Conference

The 2012 Juvenile Arthritis Conference will be in July 19-22 in St. Louis!

Click here to visit the conference website or go to the JA Conference page on Facebook.

The Upper Midwest Region awards  limited number of scholarships for local families to attend the conference each year. You can download the application here. For more information or to apply, contact Liz Truax (651-229-5371).