A Massage Envy Spa location in Texas is hosting a benefit Sept. 14 to raise money for a young girl diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). The young girl, Abby, is the daughter of Don and Cindy Mauldin, clients at Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms.
Juvenile arthritis (JA) doesn’t always present with symptoms people associate with arthritis. Don and Cindy discovered this with their daughter Abby, who just started second grade and was diagnosed with SJIA a few months ago. SJIA is a rare form of arthritis that affects children ages 2 years and older.
In mid-January, Abby began spiking high fevers at night–101 to 103 degrees–and developed a rash on her thighs. After four nights, she stopped moving when her temperatures would spike. One night, she became so stiff, she couldn’t get out of bed. “I had to pick her up and carry her to the bathroom,” Don says.
Their pediatrician sent the family to Texas Children’s Hospital to see specialists. Over eight days, Abby was seen by doctors from infectious diseases, hematology, oncology and rheumatology–who reached a consensus on day 6 that she was a case for rheumatology. After a bone marrow biopsy ruled out leukemia, Abby started treatment for SJIA. The treatment includes an anti-inflammatory drug, oral steroids and weekly IV steroid infusions.
“Abby’s limitations are condition-dependent,” says Don. “If she feels good she can do pretty much anything. Her immune system is somewhat comprised, so we have to be careful to keep her away from anyone who is sick. This limits indoor group activities and sleepovers.”
Don and Cindy go to Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms and have donated to the Arthritis Foundation. This led to a discussion about Abby, and the spa asked if it could sponsor her. A camp is held at Great Wolf Lodge in Arlington, Texas, for families of children with SJIA.
“The camp is for the entire family because the disease affects the entire family,” Don says. “This camp will allow us to meet with other families with SJIA. Parents get to meet with parents in breakout sessions. There are sessions for siblings as well as the children with the disease.”
On Sept. 14, 2013, from 5 to 9 p.m., Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms will host a benefit in its parking lot to raise $2,000 to send Abby and her family to a camp for families dealing with SJIA. Participating vendors are donating their services or a percentage of sales/fees for the event. Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms will give free chair massages and sign up participants for Healing Hands for Arthritis on Sept. 18
Help send Abby’s family to camp by heading to Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms, located at 8707D Spring Cypress Rd., Spring, TX 77379, on Sept. 14. For more information, call (281) 379-3535.
Massage Envy Spa Gleannloch Farms is also promoting Healing Hands for Arthritis on Sept. 18. The national one-day event, co-hosted by the Arthritis Foundation, promotes arthritis awareness and helps raise funds for research. Massage Envy Spa nationwide will donate $10 from every massage and facial session on Sept. 18 to the Arthritis Foundation.
Murad®, Massage Envy Spa’s exclusive skin care partner, will donate 10 percent of all sales from their products sold at Massage Envy Spa locations during the event to the Arthritis Foundation. Additionally, Wyndmere and BioFreeze will donate 10 percent of all sales from their products from Massage Envy Spa locations.
About Massage Envy Spa
Massage Envy Spa, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is the leading provider of therapeutic massage in the U.S. The national franchise is dedicated to providing professional and affordable therapeutic massage and spa services to consumers with busy lifestyles at convenient times and locations. Founded in 2002, Massage Envy Spa has nearly 900 locations in 47 states. The company was recently ranked number 81 in Entrepreneur’s 2013 Franchise 500 and number 29 in its Fastest Growing Franchise rankings. Massage Envy Spa is a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and was named a Military Friendly Franchise in 2013. For more information, visit www.MassageEnvy.com.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.