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News Releases
"Cabin Fever" Gives Relief to Children with Juvenile Arthritis
Columbia, Mo. (Mar. 7, 2006) It can be hard for Children to be confined indoors during the winter. Children with juvenile arthritis (JA) face those same frustrations, along with frequent, painful flare-ups triggered by colder weather. Although spring will make life better, children with JA and their parents will get an immediate break from the effects of old man winter at Cabin Fever Weekend.
Cabin Fever Weekend, March 18-19, is an annual getaway for about 50 families coping with juvenile arthritis. "Having a child with juvenile arthritis is stressful. After a long winter being confined inside the house and dealing with additional pains brought by the cold weather, everyone needs a little break, and some fun. That's why we started Cabin Fever Weekend 15 years ago," said Karen Siegrist, R.N., St. Louis Children's Hospital, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology and event chair. All families who have a child up to 18 years old with arthritis or other rheumatologic illness are eligible to attend this event at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Earth City, MO. A minimum contribution of $50 per family is suggested to help underwrite expenses, however, a limited number of spaces are available to those families in need.
This year's activities for children include swimming, a slumber party, a carnival, crafts, a dance and games. While the kids are off having fun, parents can enjoy a nice dinner, a massage, and a dance. The weekend, organized by the Arthritis Foundation, Eastern Missouri Chapter, also provides a "Doc in the Box", where parents can consult one-on-one with pediatric rheumatologists and other health professionals about issues they face. "It's been very popular among the families and we usually have a waiting list," says Siegrist. Over 100 volunteers help with the games, discussions and consulting.
An estimated 285,000 children in the United States have arthritis or a related rheumatic condition. In Missouri alone, more than 3,000 children have been diagnosed with arthritis. Chronic pain, fatigue, joint stiffness, swelling and limited mobility greatly changed these children's lives, as well as those of their families.
For more information, please contact Kim Rosenthal at (314) 991-9333 or krosenth@arthritis.org
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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