Welcome Pack
We know that no one welcomes the news that their child has been diagnosed with arthritis. But we also believe that every child who receives such news should feel welcomed and supported from the beginning of their journey with JIA. That’s why we created the SNAC Welcome Pack.
The centrepiece of the Pack is the SNAC Journal, which includes:
- Inspirational stories of children living and thriving with JIA;
- Tips on coping with pain, medications, and hospital visits;
- A glossary of common JIA terms;
- Space to record your feelings–and track the progress of your treatment–throughout the year;
- And much more.
Please email secretary@snac.uk.com to request your welcome pack.
Buzzys
We are pleased to have supplied more than 500 children with Buzzys.
Developed by a paediatrician to help take the sting out of injections, Buzzy offers a convenient and effective way to minimize the pain and distress some children experience when receiving arthritis medication by injection.
A small vibrating bee with ice pack wings, Buzzy both numbs the injection site and, by stimulating the nerves around the site, distracts from the sharp prick of the needle. The result: less pain and anxiety for children, and more peace of mind for their parents.
Please ask your rheumatology nurse for a SNAC funded Buzzy or email jennicatto@snac.uk.com to get one posted to you.
SNAC Journal
If living with JIA is a journey, the SNAC Journal is your personal travel guide. Developed by SNAC children and parents, the journal includes:
- A monthly calendar for keeping track of JIA symptoms throughout the year: Use the included skeleton and stickers to indicate the joints that are causing difficulty and pain.
- Space to write/draw daily thoughts
- Questions to ask your rheumatology team
- A glossary of important JIA terms
- Tips from children and young people on preparing for hospital visits, what to do when you’re sore, taking medications, and managing school
- And more.
To order a copy of the journal
Thanks to the generous support of the family and friends of Aimee Buchan, the SNAC Journal is available free of charge to all children with JIA in Scotland. Outside of Scotland, the cost is £15 + postage.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Scottish Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Network (SPARN) for contributing to and reviewing the SNAC Journal.
Resources for hospitals
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and fundraisers, SNAC has been able to help hospitals acquire a range of valuable resources for use in diagnosing and treating children with JIA.
- SNAC funds secured teaching aids (a skeleton and model eye) that have enabled the rheumatology team at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh to help patients, families, and other members of staff understand how JIA affects arthritic joints and eyes with uveitis. We also were able to provide a small library of JIA-related books, including a photobook of a patient’s journey with JIA and a copy of the latest edition of a standard paediatric rheumatology textbook.
- SNAC have also funded toy boxes for hospitals around Scotland stocked with little washable items to entertain and distract children while facilitating assessment of a child’s movement and function. Some toys require the child to demonstrate their ability to grip and move finger joints; others can be used to help encourage a child to stretch or walk, allowing medical staff to observe the child in motion. We even have helped hospitals secure little lions that gently roar and light up; when a child mimics the lion’s roar, medical staff can assess their jaw joints.