Last week I helped out at Camp New Horizons, a camp for children with type I diabetes. Monica, a third year pharmacy student, and I were the medical personnel for the 5 and 6-year-
olds. The theme of the camp this year was "Baseball," so our group was called the Pitchers. Everyday during the week, we would check in the kids and ask their parents about their blood sugar the night before. All of the parents were great and you could tell that they really cared deeply about their children. The activities included swimming, sports, education, and a fun "special" activity (i.e. gymnastics, water slide, fishing, etc.) The kids also has scheduled times for snacks and lunch. Monica and I were responsible for checking all of the kids' blood sugar levels before they ate and if they felt "low." All of the kids were precious and I cannot believe how well they handled their disease. They were not afraid of getting their fingers pricked or getting their insulin shots. They were 10 times braver than many of the adults I know! One day, I was able to work in the "Insulin Inn." This is where the kids would go to get their injections. Most of them would give themselves their own injections, but sometimes I would give them. The last day of camp was "Family Day." This was a special day for all of the campers and their families. They started off with a Diabetes Walk around the campsite and then performed the camp song for everyone. After that, there were several bounce-houses and inflatable games, like a
velcro wall, a jousting rink, a water slide, and a giant blow-up Twister game. The kids had such a great time...and so did we! The girl stuck to the
velcro wall in the picture above was one of the students I
precepted this year. :) I am excited because I will still be around to help out again next year! This camp is such an awesome event. Most of the kids that attended don't know anyone else with diabetes, but at camp, they feel "normal."
Last week I helped out at Camp New Horizons, a camp for children with type I diabetes. Monica, a third year pharmacy student, and I were the medical personnel for the 5 and 6-year-olds. The theme of the camp this year was "Baseball," so our group was called the Pitchers. Everyday during the week, we would check in the kids and ask their parents about their blood sugar the night before. All of the parents were great and you could tell that they really cared deeply about their children. The activities included swimming, sports, education, and a fun "special" activity (i.e. gymnastics, water slide, fishing, etc.) The kids also has scheduled times for snacks and lunch. Monica and I were responsible for checking all of the kids' blood sugar levels before they ate and if they felt "low." All of the kids were precious and I cannot believe how well they handled their disease. They were not afraid of getting their fingers pricked or getting their insulin shots. They were 10 times braver than many of the adults I know! One day, I was able to work in the "Insulin Inn." This is where the kids would go to get their injections. Most of them would give themselves their own injections, but sometimes I would give them. The last day of camp was "Family Day." This was a special day for all of the campers and their families. They started off with a Diabetes Walk around the campsite and then performed the camp song for everyone. After that, there were several bounce-houses and inflatable games, like a velcro wall, a jousting rink, a water slide, and a giant blow-up Twister game. The kids had such a great time...and so did we! The girl stuck to the velcro wall in the picture above was one of the students I precepted this year. :) I am excited because I will still be around to help out again next year! This camp is such an awesome event. Most of the kids that attended don't know anyone else with diabetes, but at camp, they feel "normal."
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