Parallel to daily exercise, Madson is the camp's chief proponent of the yearly water fight donning a plastic bag as a coat, and helping the kids reload their water machine guns and pails. The family gets a break, too When a child has a chronic, painful disease such as arthritis, it's tough on the whole family. Parents may face a morning struggle to get a child with arthritis up and dressed. Even school may not be much of a break for parents. Misunderstandings about medications or about what the child can or cannot do often occur.
Arthritis also is sometimes scary.
A bad flare can land a child in the hospital. Brittle bones caused by arthritis and the medications used to fight the disease can result in broken bones, visits to the emergency room and other medical traumas. But when a child goes to Joint Adventure Camp, everyone gets a break. A physician is must be on site at all times. Several of the counselors are Juvenile Arthritis Coordinators and many of the staff and volunteers are also health-care professionals as well.