Lyme disease forces beauty contestant to miss Illinois state pageant.

• Illness leads Miss Richland County Fair 
• Queen Jalaya Howk to miss state pageant
• Howk was diagnosed with Lyme's disease after winning local title
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• Jan. 15, 2013 4:19 pm
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  Richland County Fair Queen Jalaya Howk
• Olney, Ill.   --  
  Every year on the third weekend in January, a big event takes place for all county fair queens in the state when they compete for the title of Miss Illinois County Fair Queen in Springfield.
  This year will be an exception for 2012 Miss Richland County Fair Queen Jalaya Howk. She will be unable to participate due to serious health problems.
  Shortly after Jalaya won the local title in July, she was diagnosed with Lyme's disease.
  A PICC line was inserted in her arm, and she received antibiotic treatments four times weekly. Each treatment lasted for three to four hours. Jalaya continued to feel bad, and around Thanksgiving, she had an acute gall-bladder attack.
  She consequently underwent surgery to have her gall bladder removed. As complications developed, she was rushed to Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Evansville, Ind., to have a stint inserted hoping that the lodged stones would pass.
  Thinking her condition would improve, Jalaya continued with her treatments, but still experienced upper chest pain and fatigue.
  Over New Year's weekend, Jalaya was flown to Children's Hospital in St. Louis with a blood clot in the lower right lobe of the lung. She was hospitalized for five days before returning home.
  She is currently on medication to dissolve the blood clot, along with several other medications for Lyme's disease.
  The weekend of competition in Springfield involves 14-hour days, with little time for rest, and long hours of practice. Members of Richland County Fair Board and members of the Pageant Committee along with Jalaya and her grandparents, Tom and Linda Horn, made the decision that Jalaya should not compete in the State pageant due to her health problems.
  Everyone agreed that participating in the State competition could cause more harm to her health.
  Jalaya has expressed her disappointment in not being able to compete, but also realizes that her health is much more important than putting her body through the stresses that are needed to compete at the state level.
  The fair board and the Pageant Committee would like to give Jalaya the opportunity to experience the weekend without the stress of competition.
  The state pageant director has agreed to allow her to engage in some of the activities for the weekend. However, she will not compete in the interview, stage speech, physical fitness, or evening-gown competition.
  This will allow Jalaya to enjoy the pageant experience and to rest as needed.
  
  
  The fair board and the Pageant Committee wish to applaud Jalaya for her courage and the effort put forth in her attempt to participate in state competition. She has worked very hard, as her health would allow, preparing for competition.
  However, due to the serious nature of her current health issues, she will forfeit state competition. The fair board and the Pageant Committee would like to thank those businesses and individuals who have supported the pageant through corporate sponsorships and donations.
  The monies that would normally have been used to help defray the expenses associated with the state pageant will be added to Jalaya's scholarship fund, and will be released when she enrolls in college.
  Jalaya will continue to serve as Miss Richland County Fair Queen after the state competition.
  She would like to thank all of those who have given her encouragement through prayers, phone calls, and cards during her extended illnesses. She is looking forward to better health and a brighter 2013 as she fulfills her reign as Miss Richland County Fair Queen.
  Many young women gain great benefits from becoming a contestant in their county fair queen pageant. Megan Ervin, of Rushville, was Miss Schulyer County in 2008 and competed at the state pageant in Springfield five years ago where she was first-runner up. She competed in the Miss Quincy Scholarship Pageant which made her eligible to compete in the Miss Illinois Pageant where she won Miss Illinois last summer. '
  That crown entitled her to compete in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant. Her platform for Miss America was "Heptathalon of Healthy Habits," the fight against childhood obesity and inactivity. She won her division of the physical fitness competition in the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas earlier last week.
  Along with that award came scholarship money. Megan made three eliminations to be in Top 10 where she competed in evening gown and talent. Even though she did not place in the top five, she represented Illinois and Schuyler County well. She had many fans from her hometown and her county fair that followed her to competition. What an accomplished to participate in the Miss America Pageant starting at her county fair pageant.
  In 1967, Judy Ford, of Belvedere, won her local Miss Boone County Pageant. She won the Miss Illinois Pageant and went on the win the Miss America Pageant in 1969.
  Using her Miss America scholarship money to attend the University of Illinois, she earned her degree in physical education. Her trampoline exhibition helped her win the Miss America title and also helped to change the image of women athletes.
  She served as a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for eight years, having been appointed by Presidents Nixon and Ford. She taught physical education for eighteen years.
  Her success started with her local county-fair queen pageant. The Miss Richland County Fair Queen Pageant will be held on July 8, 2013.
  Applications may be picked up from Queen Jalaya and the high-school office.