Most people don’t realize that kids can suffer from arthritis. There are 300,000 in the United States alone. It can impact a child’s ability to get dressed in the morning or hold a pencil long enough to take a test in school.
Recently, I had the privilege of volunteering for the fifth year at the Juvenile Arthritis Weekend. This Arthritis Foundation event took place at the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Juvenile Arthritis Weekend started with families from Virginia. However, it has now expanded to include families from several surrounding states as well.
Parents were able to listen to experts on topics related to dealing with juvenile arthritis. They were also able to learn from each other. While the parents were in sessions, the kids participated in some fun activities and learned from experts and each other as well.
Putting on an event like the Juvenile Arthritis Weekend requires a significant number of volunteers. One of my passions is to support those suffering from arthritis because of my own family experiences dealing with arthritis.
What is your passion? How are you going to start acting on that passion and help others? Start today.
Although there are differences in causes, symptoms and even degree of severity, all of the forms of arthritis have some things in common. They cause pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints, joint lining, joint cartilage and connective tissues surrounding the joints. If not treated, the damage caused by arthritis can lead to physical deformities, joint weakness and instability.
cool! i think those kids really had fun on that event anyways, even dogs get arthritis too.