Kids who live with chronic pain have same desire as anyone else their age: to feel understood, connected, and supported. Attendees at the second Pediatric Pain Warriors retreat, held over Memorial Day weekend in San Antonio, TX, experienced all this and more. The retreat included 90 kids with pain and their family members. (View a slideshow from the weekend.)
The weekend kicked off with a welcome dinner, which included a surprise visit from former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Charmeachealle (Mike) Moore. On Saturday, children and their family members were treated to an education day with speakers covering topics from virtual reality for pain to medication safety. On the final day of the weekend, everyone headed to Morgan’s Wonderland, a handicapped-accessible theme park, for some well-deserved fun in the sun. Founded in 2010, the park admits anyone with a special need free of charge, no questions asked.
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Contact: Casey Cashman at 908-442-3257 or pediatricpainwarrior@uspainfoundation.org
San Antonio, TX (May 20, 2019)—Childhood is supposed to be carefree. But for the millions of kids navigating the challenges of living with painful conditions like fibromyalgia or juvenile arthritis, that’s not necessarily the case.
To help support children with chronic pain and their families, on May 24 to 27, the U.S. Pain Foundation will host its second Pediatric Pain Warriors Retreat at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, TX.
On Jan. 24 and Feb. 11, Tyler Cashman, Director of Pediatric Fundraising, hosted two Points for Pain games, raising more than $5,000 for U.S. Pain’s Pediatric Pain Warriors program. The program provides support for children with chronic pain and their families through weekend retreats, education days, a magazine highlighting pediatric patient stories, a pen pal program, and more.
(The next retreat is May 24-26, click here to learn more!)
Most 16 year olds are focused on their cellphones and televisions. But not 16-year-old Tyler Cashman, of Tewksbury, N.J. Tyler will host two “Points for Pain” fundraiser basketball games at Old Turnpike Middle School on Jan. 24 at 5 pm and at Voorhees High School on Jan. 29 at 7 pm. [PLEASE NOTE: The Jan. 29 game has been reschedule to Feb. 11 due to inclement weather.] All proceeds benefit Pediatric Pain Warriors, which provides support for children with chronic pain and their families through weekend retreats, education days, a magazine highlighting pediatric patient stories, a pen pal program, and more.
Last weekend, more than 125 kids with chronic pain and their families traveled from across the country for the first-ever Pediatric Pain Warrior retreat in Disney World. The event was the official kick-off of U.S. Pain’s new Pediatric Pain Warrior program, which is dedicated to the unique needs of children with chronic illnesses and their loved ones.
The weekend included plenty of opportunities for fun, like dinner with Mickey Mouse and a scavenger hunt, but the focus was education and empowerment. Saturday featured a full day of presentations ranging from the importance of talking about pain and sharing your story to tips for living with common pain conditions, like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome. The retreat also celebrated the release of the INvisible Project: Pediatric second edition, which will be available online in the coming weeks.
U.S. Pain was one of several organizations to sponsor 58 children with chronic pain and their families to attend Pediatric Pain Camp at The Center for Courageous Kids, a facility in Scottsville, KY, that offers summer camp programming for kids with serious illnesses. The camp provides activities suitable for children with different abilities and offers an on-site medical center staffed by a full-time doctor.
January was a busy month for some of U.S. Pain’s youngest pain warriors.
Jan. 11 marked the third annual Points for Pain fundraiser hosted by 14-year-old Tyler Cashman, director of pediatric fundraising and awareness, at Voorhees Regional High School in Glen Gardner, NJ. The event, which consisted of a bake sale, raffles, and a varsity girls basketball game, has raised more than $4,500 and counting. Cashman spoke and shared the pediatric edition of the INvisible Project project to a packed gym. All of the funds raised from this event go towards U.S. Pain’s Pediatric Pain Warrior Program.
Ty Cashman, U.S. Pain’s director of Pediatric Fundraising, has been getting a lot of attention thanks to his much-deserved recognition from the Yankees during HOPE Week in June. Most recently, Cashman was highlighted in a short documentary about Points for Pain that aired last month on the YES Network, and can be seen here.
But Cashman’s goal isn’t accolades: it’s raising more funding for pediatric pain warriors. That’s why he’s encouraging other kids to get involved and host their own Points for Pain games.