For children living with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, specialized care once meant a long trip to Birmingham. Through a partnership between Children’s of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of South Alabama, families can access follow-up care closer to home with support from a community committed to keeping that care within reach.
On Oct. 25, families, physicians and community members gathered at Moe’s Original BBQ, downtown Mobile for the 15th annual Barn Boo Bash, benefiting the Children’s of Alabama Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic in Mobile. The Halloween celebration featured barbecue, s’mores, music, dancing, games, a silent auction and a costume contest.
Melissa Mannion, M.D., MSPH, associate professor in the UAB Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and adjunct faculty member at the University of South Alabama, and Emily Smitherman, M.D., MSCTR, associate professor in the UAB Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, attended the fundraiser, joining the families whose care the event helps support.
The Mobile clinic grew out of a need identified by Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D., professor and Division Director of Pediatric Rheumatology as he cared for an increasing number of patients traveling from South Alabama and the Gulf Coast. With no pediatric rheumatologist based in Mobile or Baldwin counties, families faced an approximately eight-hour round trip to Birmingham for specialized care.
A partnership with the University of South Alabama provided clinic space for Children’s of Alabama/UAB pediatric rheumatologists to see patients in Mobile every other month. Following an initial diagnosis, children can receive ongoing care and treatment locally, reducing travel time and helping them return more quickly to school, family activities and everyday life.
The Barn Boo Bash helps sustain that access. According to organizers, 100% of proceeds support clinic costs and nursing coverage during Mannion’s and now Smitherman’s visits.
For Leslie Johnson, who started the fundraiser, the event’s impact extends beyond the money raised.
“The Barn Boo Bash has been successful in raising funds for the remote clinic in Mobile,” Johnson said. “I think the event has also helped to raise awareness of the disease and the fact that children are affected by arthritis as well.”
The gathering also gives patients and their families an opportunity to connect outside the clinic. Children can meet others navigating similar experiences, while parents build relationships with families who understand the challenges of managing a child’s rheumatic disease.
“It has been amazing to see the network of patients and parents connect over the years,” Johnson said.
Now in its 15th year, the Barn Boo Bash has become both a fundraiser and a community tradition. With physicians joining the festivities and families returning year after year, the event helps sustain specialized care along the Gulf Coast while giving children and parents a place to find connection and support.