Inspired by the Roald Dahl Charity’s Marvellous Nurse Inventing Rooms, on August 23rd, we hosted our very own C+F Inventing Room to ask the community and together envision what our C+F Injection Coping Kits should include. With the help of medical experts, parents and youth, we dove in and got to work!

We started off by looking at the current experience and relationship with injections for everyone involved. What feelings come up? As you may have expected, words like anxiety, pain and fear were commonly shared. Through education and support, our Kits will aim to transform this experience and provide a bit of comfort for everyone involved.

Our inventors then split into groups to design our very own kits. The discussions were inspiring to say the least. From physical supports like shot blockers and numbing creams to emotional supports such as mindfulness cards and journals to educational resources and supportive letters from community members, we heard from everyone what works best in their own injection journeys and what they would recommend for families just starting out.

It was also emphasized that the Kits should include information for accessing additional support channels such as:

• The Injection Support Page in our ClassRheum Hub which is filled with tips, FAQs, our Virtual Education Webinars and resources for families and healthcare.
• The JA Canada Group on Facebook where parents often ask questions and have discussions about injections together.
• Our Youth Mentorship Program gives space for youth to connect with other youth who have gone through similar experiences and just “get it”.

The most important takeaway from The Inventing Room: no family will ever have to navigate injections alone.

A big thank-you to all who participated in support for the JA and childhood rheumatic disease community in Canada including the following inventors:

Healthcare Representatives:

• Dr. Lori Tucker, Pediatric Rheumatologist, BC Children’s Hospital

• Maggie Mercer, Pediatric Rheumatology Nurse, Alberta Children’s Hospital

• Jayne Green, Pediatric Rheumatology Nurse, BC Children’s Hospital

• Jennifer Bessey, Pediatric Pharmacist, IWK Health Centre

Youth Representatives:

• Julie Beausoleil, ON
• Ciara Mahaffy, BC
• Emma Linsley, SK
• Jason Devens, AB

Parent Representatives:

• Liz Devens, AB
• Jennifer Bessey, NS
• Sonya Galbraith, ON

Cassie + Friends Staff:

• Jennifer Wilson, Executive Director
• Brittany Barnes, Director, Programs + Partnerships
• Dini Stamatopulos, Programs Manager

To receive the list of potential Coping Kit items, for more information or to get involved please email brittany@cassieandfriends.ca.