This week I got to visit a diabetic summer camp that was started and is run by ACTS International, an NGO from my hometown. Over the past 19 summers, more than 1,000 Georgian kids have learned how to manage their type-1 diabetes, which is no small task here, given the limitations in terms of medical supplies, knowledge and support.
According to Trish Blair, the American physician who started the camp and works her buns off keeping it going, Georgian diabetic kids used to live only about 10 years. Now, she has counselors helping out who have attended camp their entire lives. Some former campers are married with kids of their own. Many have gone on to university, including medical school. Trish encourages them to study endocrinology, of course.
Counselors collect up their mobile phones and keep the kids busy with hikes, dance parties, arts & crafts, trivia contests, and regular blood checks and insulin injections. The kids also get individual medical counseling to learn how to regulate their diet and activity levels.
From all the giggling and hugging I heard & saw, and from the kids I talked to, it seems like the biggest benefit they perceive is great friendships. Ultimately, that's what summer camp is all about, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment