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Camps help children learn to live with diabetes while enjoying the simple pleasures of summer

Friday, March 19, 2010

Since 1962, Camp Kakhamela has been helping children living with type 1 diabetes. Located in Gibsons, BC, Kakhamela provides children between the ages of seven and 16 with diabetes self-management tools in a safe and fun environment.

Through this program, children are able to enjoy an authentic summer camp experience while having all of their diabetes needs met by a team of skilled medical professionals. Led by Medical Camp Director Dr. Dan Metzger, supervision and education are provided by a team of endocrinologists, doctors, nurses and dieticians, as well as healthcare students, residents and interns. Campers also get to meet other children who share a personal understanding of the challenges that come from living with diabetes, and many of these relationships develop into lifelong friendships.

Last summer, Camp Kakhamela welcomed 370 campers from throughout British Columbia. The Association subsidizes the fees to lessen the burden on families and ensure that no child is turned away for financial reasons. As a result, we were able to provide some unforgettable memories for one special camper named Dylan Thomas.

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, nine-year-old Dylan must test his blood glucose levels several times a day and be extremely conscious of what he eats. Regardless of his condition, he maintains a wonderful sense of humour. He is also very close to his family, particularly his older brother Josh. “I have never seen two brothers as close as they are,” says Dylan’s father, Morgan. “They do everything together, even though there is a four year difference.”

Josh and Dylan each had an amazing summer last year when they both got the opportunity to attend camp. Through the help of a subsidy, Dylan went for the first time to Camp Kakhamela. As Morgan, a single dad on disability, explains: “My older son Josh had been going to camp since the age of eight, so it was very important for me to do the same thing for Dylan when he turned the same age. I was extremely lucky that Dylan had the opportunity to go to the exact same camp for the exact same amount of time at the exact same age. It is very important to both boys that they get the same privileges as each other.”

Dylan enjoyed kayaking, swimming and learning a lot about diabetes from the 24-hour onsite medical staff, whom he calls “all the nice people who cared so much.” No wonder Dylan is already looking forward to going back to Camp Kakhamela this summer: “It was soooooo much fun! The place is so beautiful and nice with cool activities. I made new friends, I played and, most of all, I had fun!”

Morgan will be looking forward to the Association’s help for Camp Kakhamela again this year. “Since I’m still on disability, I would like to put him in camp again through the subsidy. It is something he can grow up with and create long-lasting friendships. I like the idea that I don’t have to worry. I like the idea that I am welcome to go over and visit if I want to...although I asked Dylan last year and he did not want his dad there! It’s so much fun - we wish he could go for two weeks!”

Increased demand and growing waiting lists have placed pressure on the Association to expand the program to reach a greater number of children each year, and camp fees only cover half of the cost to the Association of accommodating all of the campers. It is through the generous support of our donors that we are able to keep our camps alive and strong, and continue providing children like Dylan with memories that will last a lifetime.

Get more information on Camp Kakhamela and other Association camps across Canada, or make a donation to the Association that will help more kids share Dylan’s experience.