ocala style women’s expo

On May 20, Ocala Style hosted its first annual Women’s Expo, presented by Joan Pletcher Real Estate Network. The event featured more than 100 vendors, food samples, panel discussions and speakers, hands-on demonstrations, a shopping marketplace and more. The money raised through ticket and raffle sales benefitted Ignite, a local women’s organization dedicated to eradicating domestic violence in Marion County.

to Shands [where Oliva was diagnosed].”

SJIA is not what one would expect. Children with SJIA will show symptoms of the disease in the form of rashes and intermittent fevers, with a child’s temperature fluctuating wildly in short periods of time.

“She [Olivia] would have a 102 temperature and then, a couple of hours later, be back to normal or even lower,” says Danny, Olivia’s father.

Olivia’s form of the disease, Systemic JIA, is the most serious form of JIA and is sometimes called Still’s disease. As a toddler, she had to endure painful, daily injections for nearly a year (from ages 18 months through 2.5 years). Her parents would have to hold her down while Olivia howled in pain. It was a challenging time for the entire family. And it still is.

“It’s still hard,” confesses Samantha. “Her crying wakes us up many mornings. I woke up this morning in my daughter’s room because she had a hard time sleeping.”

Olivia’s disease is particularly challenging in that, not only do the parents and children have to su er, but the name of the disease itself often invokes confusion to those who hear it.