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Camping and Cruising with Diabetes
One woman who made this possible is a nurse named Zula Walters in Alabama. Once she saw a diabetic child struggling at a regular summer camp where no special services were available. She realized that special camps could be helpful for diabetic kids, so helped found a professional organization for owners of such camps, called the Diabetes Education and Camping Association. Although retired now, Zula is still thinking about camps. She would like to involve more celebrities, especially sports figures who are diabetic, whom the children could look to for inspiration. She also foresees that the kids will want to have more ìextreme sportsî available at their camps. The emphasis is on educating the kids about diabetes while they do all the ordinary camp activities. Kids learn while they're having fun, doing things that other kids do, only with some careful planning. The peer pressure in this case works to reinforce the importance of good management of diabetes from an early age. Testing, eating well, and being physically active are just routine there. Everyone is doing it. It is estimated that eighty percent of the kids attending these camps are using insulin pumps. Many counselors at these camps are also diabetic and attended camps like these as children. Inspired by their own experiences, they stay involved with camping as adults. This creates a sense of safety, not only for the children attending but also for their parents. The kids are "among friends," so that special things diabetic children must usually explain at school are just taken for granted at camp. Many long-lasting friendships develop among those who attend, providing moral support extending well beyond the summer. Naturally, when they've had a good experience, kids want to go back the following year. Continued participation over several years does improve their A1Cís, according to a study done by the Joslin Clinic. Many more children could benefit from camps than we can provide for. There are fewer than 150 camps nationwide, so fewer than a quarter of Type 1 diabetic children have opportunities to attend camp. Scholarships are available for kids attending camps. Often when a child wants to attend, communities and churches will rally to raise funds. If you know of a child who might benefit, ask your pediatrician if there is a particular camp he or she would recommend. There are several each in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Lists of camps are available at these websites: "http://www.diabeteshealth. com" www.diabeteshealth. com and "http://www.diabetes.org" www.diabetes.org.
For grown-ups there are diabetes cruises! Information about cruises is available at the Moss Library, where you can learn more about diabetes Wednesday April 25 at 4 pm.
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