My story
Shontá King: Television interview sparks interest in support group
On Monday, March 19, immediately after the 10 o'clock news aired in Wichita, Kan., Shontá King's telephone began to ring. Shontá fielded calls regarding interest in her psoriasis support group and thanked people who just wanted to congratulate her because they had seen her on television. She talked to one woman until 12:30 a.m., and throughout their conversation, the calls kept coming. "I didn't want to get off the phone with her," Shontá says, "but I didn't want to miss a call either!"
The cause of Shontá's instant fame can be traced back to the Psoriasis Foundation's Media Packets she mailed to local television stations a few days before. She received a response from Channel 10 and proceeded to spend a day being interviewed and videotaped while engaged in her normal activities. The newscaster gave information and statistics about psoriasis, and Shontá shared her personal experience.
Right now, Shontá estimates she is about 98 percent covered with psoriasis. "I still do have trouble talking to people about it," she admits. But one thing that has really helped her is to know that she has her fellow support group members to call on when she has had a particularly difficult confrontation.
Shontá started her psoriasis support group in January 2000. For more than a year, Shontá, her sister Sabrina and a few steady members have kept meeting on the second Tuesday evening of every month. They watch Psoriasis Foundation videos, look at the latest newsletters and brochures, and talk about anything of interest in the news regarding psoriasis.
Shontá and Sabrina are working on recruiting new members for their group by circulating flyers and talking to local physicians. They recently exhibited at the Senior Citizen's Health Fair held at a local hospital.
Starting a psoriasis support group is something Shontá says she'll never regret. "If I help one person or just help myself, I will have done what I need to do."
If you would like information about starting a support group in your community, contact the Psoriasis Foundation at (800) 723-9166 to request literature. Or, see a list of active support groups.
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