Nine-year-old Kamryn Bordges suffers from juvenile arthritis, a debilitating disease that inflames the body’s tissues, causing severe joint pain and stiffness. Kamryn has been living with the disease all of her life and currently uses a combination of medical injections, pain killers and vitamins to combat the disease. On Sept. 19, she’ll add a new therapy to the mix – a massage at Massage Envy Las Colinas.
Kamryn will receive her massage as part of the Healing Hands for Arthritis event, a nationwide effort to build awareness for arthritis and raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation. During the one-day event, Massage Envy clinics around the nation will donate $10 from every one-hour massage or facial session to the Arthritis Foundation.
“I’m so excited that Massage Envy is doing this. It’s important for people to understand that arthritis affects children too, not just adults,” said Heidi Bordges, Kamryn’s mother. “I see how much Kamryn struggles with the pain, and the emotional toll it takes on her. It’s not an easy way to live. Some days she can’t play or run or jump the way other kids do. More than anything, she just wants to be ‘normal.’”
Anyone can support Healing Hands for Arthritis by signing up for and receiving a one-hour massage at any Massage Envy location or a one-hour facial at participating locations on Wednesday, Sept. 19. During the event, all Massage Envy locations are offering the public one-hour massages at a special introductory rate of $49. Several Massage Envy locations also provide facials, and they’ll be offered to the public for $59.To participate, visit MassageEnvy.com and set up an appointment.
“We are honored to support the Arthritis Foundation in its mission to prevent, control and cure arthritis and related diseases,” said Darla Perkins, clinic manager of the Massage Envy Las Colinas. “As a company, we raised nearly $500,000 during last year’s event. This year, we hope to raise even more to help arthritis sufferers like Kamryn to reduce their pain and one day be cured. With help from the public and our community partners, we can reach that goal.”
Massage Envy Las Colinas’ community partners include: Smashburger, Tammy & Co. Salon, i Fratelli Pizza, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Firehouse Subs, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Einstein Bros Bagels, Corner Bakery Cafe, The Ranch at Las Colinas and Red Hot & Blue Restaurants.
Kamryn’s story:
When Kamryn was two years old she began performing gymnastics. Soon after, she began complaining of mysterious aches. At first, her parents thought she had hurt herself during practice, but her pain manifested further and she began walking with a limp.
“I had juvenile arthritis too, so when she started limping down the stairs I began to suspect that maybe she had it,” said Heidi Bordges. “We took her to the doctor and then to Scottish Rite. When she came into the arthritis clinic, six of her joints were swollen, and that’s bad enough to be treated with injections.”
Every week Kamryn’s parents have to hold her down and inject medicine into her arms or legs. The experience is heart-wrenching for her family, but it is necessary.
“She just dreads the injections. It’s so hard to put her through that, but they seem to be working. She used to have to take Naproxen several times a day for pain and now she hardly takes it at all. We’ve also began doing the injections at night, while she’s sleeping. She seems to handle it better. She’ll wake up for it, but usually goes back to sleep, so we think it’s becoming somewhat easier for her,” noted Bordges.
The psychologist at Scottish Rite has been working with Kamryn, teaching her breathing techniques to incorporate during the injections and giving her “mood stickers” to help her focus her emotions.
“Kamryn is doing much better with the injections, but if we could eliminate them all together and eliminate the pain – that would be so amazing. Finding a cure would be something we’d love to see,” explained Bordges.
Today approximately 300,000 children suffer from arthritis. These children face searing pain, and in some cases, bone and organ damage. For more information, visit arthritis.org.
