Walk puts focus on Juvenile Arthritis

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Walk puts focus on Juvenile Arthritis

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08123/878447-85.stm

When Dr. Rosen, a pediatric rheumatologist at Children's Hospital,

delivered his diagnosis of Amelia Herzer, it wasn't a complete surprise, her

mother said, but it was still a shock.

" When she kept limping, the thought flashed through my mind that it might be

arthritis, but I brushed it away thinking it couldn't be, " said

Herzer. " She was only 2. Arthritis is an older person's disease. "

But tests and blood work confirmed that Amelia was one of the 300,000

children in the United States who suffer from juvenile arthritis. Common

symptoms are inflammation or stiffness in the joints and weakness in the

muscles and soft tissues around affected joints. There is no cure yet for

JA, but medication can reduce inflammation and relieve pain and swelling.

Amelia, who must get shots every Monday and Friday, is coping well with her

illness, her mother said.

" You'd never know she had it, " Ms. Herzer said. " She's a really active

little girl. The only thing is she gets tired. When she gets tired, we just

stop and have her lie down. "

" Amelia is a happy child, " said her father, Herzer. " If you see her

you couldn't tell she sometimes has crippling days. "

Finding a cure for JA is one of the priorities of the Arthritis Foundation.

May is National Arthritis Month, and tomorrow is the signature fund-raising

event for the foundation, the annual Arthritis Walk.

The Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will honor

Amelia Herzer at the walk, which will begin at 9 a.m. at Heinz Field. The

Arthritis Walk is part of the Walk for a Healthy Community sponsored by

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, which raises funds for 37 area charities.

There will be both 1-mile and 5-kilometer courses, essentially between Heinz

Field and PNC Park.

The primary purpose of the Walk for a Healthy Community is to raise funds

for the participating organizations, said Gladney, director of

community program implementation and development for Highmark. The secondary

purpose, he said, is to publicize the health benefits of walking.

Highmark underwrites the entire cost of the walk, so 100 percent of the

donations go to the charities.

About 3,500 people have signed up for the walk, 200 specifically for the

Arthritis Foundation. But most walkers sign up on the day of the walk, Mr.

Gladney said.

" Typically, we have 6,000 to 8,000 walkers, " he said. Registration opens at

7:45 a.m.

As soon as her daughter was diagnosed with JA, Ms. Herzer strove to find out

as much about it as she could.

" The Arthritis Foundation has a great Web site, " she said. " They have a lot

of information. They have a self-help class on arthritis that's really

helped a lot. "

The foundation program the parents praised most are the periodic " Family

Days " the local chapter hosts at the Woodlands in Wexford. There are special

activities for the children while parents attend workshops led by doctors

and patients who talk about how they cope with the disease.

" It's kind of like group therapy, " Mr. Herzer said. " We're able to talk

about our problems and voice our emotions. "

" It's really helped us to hear other people's stories, " Ms. Herzer said.

Jack can be reached at jkelly@... or 412-263-1476.

First published on May 2, 2008 at 12:00 am