Support Jayden’s Journey

Jayden Myers’ journey of pain began the day before a family vacation in August of 2012, when a rash broke out all over her body, along with pain in her right leg, foot, and ankle. A first diagnosis, and several thereafter, was hives due to a food allergy. After additional diagnoses and follow-up visits to the pediatrician’s office, she was referred to a pediatric rheumatologist at Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania. In October of 2012, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, enthesitis-related. With treatment, most of the joint pain she was having was eased; unfortunately, the extreme pain continued in the right foot, ankle, and leg. Finally, Jayden was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Amplified Muscular Pain Syndrome (AMPS) and evaluated by Dr. Sherry, a specialist in Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. His final diagnosis was two forms of AMPS: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Diffuse Amplified Pain Syndrome. When experiencing AMPS, there is an abnormal short circuit in the spinal cord. The normal pain signal not only travels up to the brain, but also goes to the neurovascular nerves that control blood flow through the vessels. These nerves cause the blood vessels to constrict. This constriction restricts blood flow and oxygen to muscles and bone and leads to an increase in waste products such as lactic acid. It is the lack of oxygen and acid build-up that causes the pain. The new pain signal also goes across the abnormal short circuit and causes decreased blood flow, leading to more pain. The pain becomes extremely severe through this cycle. Jayden participates in a multi-disciplinary pain management program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She attends school when she is able and continues with Home Intermittent School Teaching. Jayden is part of the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen Restaurant Family. Her parents, Rob and Sherry Myers, travel to Hershey Medical Center two times weekly for Jayden to receive the intense physical therapy she needs. To help support the Myers in handling the unending medical bills that result from Jayden’s treatments, the Patty Pollatos Fund has been a blessing, hosting fundraisers in Jayden’s benefit. A Wing Feed will be held on May 20, 2017, at the Emmitsburg Firehall. Please reference the calendar for more information about this fundraising event. You may purchase tickets, a Jayden’s Journey t-shirt, or submit a donation at the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen Restaurant in Thurmont. You can also go online to www.ppfinc.org and click on Jayden Myers’ photo to donate.

Pictured during an April 15 bake sale and shirt sale (left to right), Owen Ott, Easter Bunny, Madison Ott, Jayden Myers, and Kendall Stuart