The Arthritis Foundation reports that approximately 294,000 children under the age of 18 suffer from some form of arthritis. Most prevalent, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a chronic condition affecting the joints, bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves. The pain, stiffness, and swelling associated with JRA inhibits flexibility and mobility, making daily tasks difficult and painful. Flares, or periods when symptoms become more active and worsen, can exclude children from enjoying extracurricular activities. For children who live in North Carolina, there is a summer camp that exclusively caters to children who suffer from chronic medical conditions, including JAR.
Facts About JRA
There are three types of JRA. Oligoarthritis affects less than five joints and is also the most likely to cause inflammation of the eye. Polyarthritis affects five or more joints and symptoms are confined to the affected joints. Systemic JRA is characterized by swollen lymph nodes, fever, and rashes. It can also cause the inflammation of internal organs. These symptoms typically appear and disappear quickly.
The cause of JRA is unknown, but doctors believe that hereditary factors may play a role. JRA is most common in white females. Treatment through medication can lessen the symptoms, but there is no cure for JRA. However, as it is a chronic condition, JRA can go into remissions that can last anywhere from months and years to a lifetime.
JRA Summer Camp in North Carolina
Victory Junction in Randleman, North Carolina, is a free summer camp designed specifically for children who suffer from chronic illnesses, including JRA. Victory Junction offers a fully staffed medical facility and licensed medical professionals to oversee each child in camp attendance.
Camp Requirements
Children between the ages of six and 16 are eligible to attend the JRA summer camp in North Carolina. They will need to have a medical diagnosis and their condition must interfere with their ability to attend regular summer camps. These children will also need to be able to communicate their needs either verbally or through the use of sign language or a communication device.
Medical Staffing, Facilities, and Services
Staffing includes one full-time Medical Director and one full-time Nursing Director along with four full-time registered nurses. During summer sessions, a volunteer physician, a generalist physician, and an additional four to eight volunteer nurses provide the medical support needed to camp goers.
Victory Junction features a comprehensive four-treatment room medical facility, with an additional two observation rooms. Medical capabilities range from dialysis or chemotherapy administration to bug bites, strains, and sprains. Victory Junction provides testing for hemoglobin measurements, blood glucose determinations, and rapid strep tests. Through an agreement, any additional lab testing required is sent to Randolph Hospital in Asheboro, North Carolina, and is given priority status.
Activities Available at JRA Summer Camp in North Carolina
Children participate in arts and crafts, boating, swimming, horseback riding, archery, and woodworking. Victory Junction also features a NASCAR- themed race area complete with race cars, racing gear, and a race simulator.
