Gracia Roemer used a local pumpkin festival to raise awareness about pediatric CFS. Over 6,000 people attended the event.

Personal Stories: Pumpkin Patch Advocacy

With an October 30 birthday, my sister Gracia is a pumpkin lover who hits any pumpkin event she can in late October. She has also done various things to raise CFS awareness and has been enormously helpful to me since the early 1980s when doctors here in Utah couldn’t figure out why I was so fatigued.

In fact, it was Gracia who researched my condition and concluded—years prior to an official diagnosis from one of my doctors—that it was something being called chronic fatigue syndrome. It was also Gracia who found the CFIDS Association for me 13 years ago.

But back to the pumpkins.

Every year in Weber County, Utah, an event called Pumpkin Alley is held to provide opportunities for family fun, socializing and creativity. This year the event was attended by about 6,000 people. The festivities include a pumpkin-decorating exhibit.

My sister decided to create a pumpkin display to raise awareness about pediatric CFS. Using a small pumpkin for the head, she depicted a child sick in bed with CFS. The child wore a night cap and was covered with a blanket. A small soccer ball at the foot of the bed was a reminder of the child’s more active days. The signs on the display said, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome . . . Kids Get It, Too!”

Gracia shared with me that her display stood out and got a great deal of attention. It was the only entry of its type and the only tiny pumpkin. According to my sister, everyone seemed to love it. One little girl came up to her and said, “That baby pumpkin is my favorite of all!” Another person said, “This has to be the prizewinning table!” Everyone read the signs. There were no negative or snide comments. More importantly, it got conversations started about the illness. My sister heard some people saying, “Oh yes. Chronic fatigue syndrome. I know someone with this illness.” One woman shared a website for people with CFS.

I credit my sister for finding a way to work CFS awareness into an activity she enjoys. She found a fun and rather easy way to raise awareness that children and adolescents get CFS and to bring attention to this illness.

I thought it was a story worth sharing this fall.
__________________________________________

Faith Wong is a longtime CFIDS Association member from Utah. She’s an active advocate for CFS research and awareness who recently became one the CFIDS Association’s Grassroots Champions for sending more than 50 e-mail messages this year to Congress, the media and health policy leaders, pushing for greater attention to the needs of people with CFS.