Dr. Thomas A. Pressly started the children and arthritis network, a non-profit organization that supports families with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Over 280 thousand children in the U.S. have arthritis, with over five thousand in Louisiana alone. Jambalaya Jubilee was organized to help children with the disease and their families cope. The weekend retreat offers games, outdoor activities, and education to inspire children to keep going. Camp organizers also offer classes and counselors for parents and other siblings who need help coping. Centenary College has hosted the retreat since 1990 and the goal of the weekend retreat is to help children develop self-esteem as they learn how to deal with the frustrations of what is often considered an adult disease. The event attracts families from Louisiana and surrounding states in the region.

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Dr. Thomas Pressly started this weekend retreat, Jambalaya Jubilee, to help children affected by the disease juvenile rheumatoid arthritis cope with the difficulties of a so-called adult disease. With the assistance of counselors, physicians, and classes for family members of the children affected, the retreat hopes to assist families of those suffering from the disease and help build self-esteem and confidence in the youth. Arthritis is a condition that is always painful and can be crippling and possibly fatal, according to Dr. Pressly. Swollen joints, stiffness, and difficulty walking, running, or even kicking a soccer ball are all symptoms of this crippling disease.

Jambalaya Jubilee offers games, outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and meetings with camp organizers to talk to children and their families about the disease. Dr. Pressly started the children and arthritis network to help support families with children who have arthritis. His non-profit work has lead to the development of Jambalaya Jubilee, helping children and their families throughout the Ark-La-Tex for over a decade. Centenary College has hosted this event since 1990, providing space for the crafts, talks, and outdoor activities. Centenary also provides manpower to the event, helping out by becoming counselors, moving tables, or even hosting a game or two.

Over 150 children from all over the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas area come together to talk and cope with their disease, but also to meet new friends and have fun not having to worry what will happen later with their joints or their skin. Of the 280 thousand children in the U.S. affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, five thousand of those live in Louisiana alone, making up 2% of all children affected by the disease. Children ages two to 16 make up the population of children attending the weekend retreat, some returning every year since they were very young. Some children even return as counselors to give back to those who helped them so much over the years.

The program is aimed at helping everyone involved with juvenile arthritis, be they directly affected, family members of those affected, or their community. Everyone is welcome to help and always encouraged to give their time to understand and learn about a disease that affects more children every year.

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As stated before, the main goal of Jambalaya Jubilee is to empower children suffering from Juvenile Arthritis and help them cope with a disease that is thought to only affect adults. The weekend retreat is meant to give those children confidence and build their self-esteem. Family members are able to meet with counselors and physicians to help the family learn to cope with living with a child who has arthritis. Outdoor activities, crafts and games are aimed to help the children feel like they are living a normal life as opposed to a life of stiffness, aches and pains. Without this program, children in the Ark- La-Tex would not have a place to go to meet other children who share this commonality or to build their self-esteem and help them cope with the difficulties and frustrations of their disease.

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Since Dr. Pressly has held this program for the past eleven years, and more children show up each year, the positive and lasting effects of the program are eminent. Each child leaves the weekend retreat feeling content, empowered, and confident in knowing they can get through this disease. Through the counseling offered to the families, the children are also provided a stronger support system! Several of the children who return year after year to the Jambalaya Jubilee have even returned to be counselors for those younger children that suffer from the same disease they do. Having pay-it-forward effects is very beneficial, always providing a turn over of more counselors for the following year. Children and their families are able to deal with the disease knowledgeably and with confidence that it is something they can overcome as a family unit.

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Over 500 children and their families attended this event this year. Many volunteers from the community, including physicians, Centenary students, and counselors helped Dr. Pressly and his team in making this event an even more successful annual event. The youth along with their families left Jambalaya Jubilee feeling empowered and confident of their efforts in conquering the disease that has plagued them for years. The Centenary community took well to the presence of children who are and have overcome a disease that could cripple or inhibit a person. The students helped out in anyway possible whether it's driving golf carts for people who couldn't walk or showing people to their rooms. These children were an inspiration to students at Centenary and showed them how to keep fighting, keep pushing and keep their heads held high!

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As long as there is a need for this program, there is a way. You can get in touch with your local Arthritis Foundation to host this event or an event just like this. There are several people you must contact before taking on this kind of project: such as your local rheumatoid arthritis physicians, counselors that aid in childhood arthritis, and people who are willing to organize the event. If you are unable to set up an entire weekend retreat, you could tackle another project head on by looking up facts and statistics about juvenile arthritis and maybe even getting a child suffering from arthritis to give a speech about their experience with the disease. Either route you go, get in contact with Dr. Thomas A. Pressly to get his opinion about your venture. Good luck!

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