{"id":860140,"date":"2026-08-16T12:12:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T12:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/860140\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T12:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T12:12:16","slug":"pitching-in-rodeo-queen-helps-raise-money-for-bc-childrens-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/860140\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitching in: \u2018Rodeo Queen\u2019 helps raise money for BC Children\u2019s Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Charlee Thomas participates in the 85th Keremeos Rodeo on May 17. Ms. Thomas is back to riding after having been treated for juvenile dermatomyositis at BC Childrens\u2019 Hospital.Dirt Road Photography\/Courtesy of Charlee Thomas<\/p>\n

The organizer: Charlee Thomas<\/p>\n

The pitch: Helping raise money for the BC Children\u2019s Hospital Foundation <\/p>\n

When Charlee Thomas was seven years old, she started developing calcinosis, a buildup of calcium deposits in her skin and muscles. <\/p>\n

Her family doctor wasn\u2019t too concerned at first, but it wasn\u2019t long before Ms. Thomas\u2019s condition worsened to the point where she could no longer ride horses, which was one of her passions. Just before her 11th birthday, she and her family headed to Vancouver from their home in Keremeos, B.C., south of Penticton, for further testing at the BC Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n

The results showed that she had juvenile dermatomyositis, or JDM, an incurable autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks blood vessels, causing skin rashes and progressive muscle weakness. \u201cThat was a really big shock,\u201d Ms. Thomas recalled from her home. \u201cReceiving a diagnosis like that is never easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hospital developed a detailed treatment plan that included physiotherapy and corticosteroids \u2013 anti-inflammatory medication that also helped reset her immune system. She returns every three months for checkups when possible. The hospital arranged Zoom calls during winter when travelling was difficult, and doctors found clinics near her home that could also provide treatment. \u201cThey\u2019re really accommodating for any lifestyle changes and making sure that my condition doesn\u2019t define my life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Ms. Thomas rides at the Stan Thompson Memorial Rodeo in Princeton, B.C., on June 13.Courtesy of Charlee Thomas<\/p>\n

Ms. Thomas, now 17, has made remarkable progress. She\u2019s back riding horses and even teaching children. She also participates in rodeo, and earlier this year she was crowned Miss Keremeos Rodeo Queen 2026. \u201cMy job is to go to different communities, different rodeos and parades, and serve as an ambassador for my town and my rodeo, but also for the sport of rodeo in general,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ms. Thomas is so grateful for the care and treatment she received at the hospital that she has become a spokesperson for the hospital\u2019s 2026 Dream Lottery, which raises more than $8-million annually. \u201cThey\u2019ve been so incredible at helping me get back into this sport that I\u2019m so passionate about,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

With the hospital\u2019s help, Ms. Thomas has learned to live with JDM. \u201cBut it\u2019s never been something that I\u2019ve let keep me down, and I\u2019ve always tried to look on the bright side of things,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Charlee Thomas participates in the 85th Keremeos Rodeo on May 17. Ms. Thomas…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":860141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,84,392,2922],"class_list":["post-860140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-noastack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}