About Children and Arthritis, Inc.
Our Mission Statement
Children and Arthritis, Inc. provides information and support to families with children who suffer from arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Through our opportunities for education, encouragement and enjoyment at Camp Jambalaya Jubilee, families discover ways to alleviate the frustrations of chronic illness.
Our History
Over 300,000 children suffer from arthritis in the United States. Arthritis, however, is still generally thought of as an older-person’s disease. Very few support organizations are available to these young patients specifically. That’s where Children and Arthritis has stepped in.
Children and Arthritis, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Tom Pressly in 1990. Partnering with Shriner’s Hospital of Shreveport, Dr. Pressly began to volunteer his services in a free monthly clinic at the hospital. He saw the need for patients to gain support outside the walls of a doctor’s office and shared this idea with his wife, Tracy. As a child, Tracy participated in a camp for children with diabetes and found it helpful in dealing with the disease. She suggested to her husband that the concept might work well for children dealing with rheumatic diseases and voila! Jambalaya Jubilee was born!
Camp Jambalaya Jubilee
Camp Jambalaya Jubilee is the primary program of Children and Arthritis, Inc. This weekend retreat has served children with arthritis and their families and this year is celebrating 30 years! Hundreds of friends, family, physicians, therapists, sponsors and donors make this annual event possible.
Children Can Get
Arthritis?
This is one of the most common questions we hear. These children are an often-overlooked population, as arthritis has long been considered a disease of the aging, not of children. But arthritis affects over 300,000 children in the United States.
Children and Arthritis, Inc. seeks to address the difficulties faced by the children suffering from rheumatic diseases, and the impact it has on families.
– Arthritis in children is always painful, sometimes crippling, and occasionally fatal.
– Children often suffer from both extreme pain and emotional isolation.
– Parents and siblings struggle understand the pain and to communicate with the child in an understanding way.
– Siblings often feel forgotten and act out. The divorce rate hovers at 75% for families dealing with a chronic illness.
– Medications can cost up to $200,000 year
– Parents are unsure which treatment options are best.
– School absences cause another layer of difficulty.
