Summer Camp Program for Kids with Diabetes Celebrates 45 Years

By Tara Jenner

Parents of children with diabetes may not feel safe sending their kids off to most summer camps, but the Central Ohio Diabetes Association is making preparations to kick off its summer camp program for Central Ohio children with diabetes for the 45^th year. 
It is normal to worry about your kids while they are away at camp, but parents of children with diabetes worry for different reasons. A diabetic child’s diet must be watched closely, blood sugars must be monitored regularly and insulin or medication must be given. The added responsibility that comes with diabetes is enough to make parents be concerned about the safety of a diabetic child while at camp, but the Central Ohio Diabetes Association (CODA) has a specially trained staff of physicians, nurses, dieticians, social workers and camp counselors to make every camp experience fun and safe.
Every year, CODA offers a variety of camps for children ages 7 to 17 at Camp Hamwi, located in Danville, Ohio. This year, camps are in session from July 22 to August 4.

While at camp, kids are taught about eating healthy, checking blood sugars, exercising and living with diabetes. The skills children learn at camp enable them to participate in the management of their diabetes and are valuable skills that will last a lifetime.
Jadyn, a 12-year-old camper and camp ambassador, will be attending camp this year for the fourth time. She thinks camp is important for kids with diabetes. When asked how she would feel if the summer camp program did not exist, Jadyn said, “I would feel kind of sad because some kids don’t understand what it takes to manage the disease, and camp will get them used to having diabetes.”
However, summer camp would not be complete without swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, making arts and crafts, playing sports and making new friends. Kids will enjoy normal camp activities too. 
Mark, a 12-year-old camper and camp ambassador, will be attending camp for the second time this summer. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010. He is looking forward to horseback riding this year because he was unable to try it last year, while Jadyn enjoys archery.

Jadyn and Mark think of their camp family as a second family. Camp is a safe place where they do not need to explain diabetes because everyone around them knows about living with the disease. “You get to meet everybody and you get to know everybody, and then we get to do everything together,” Mark said.

This year, CODA introduced youth camp ambassadors, or “Camp Champs,” for the first time. Mark and Jadyn were chosen this year. They have accepted the task of spreading the word about the summer camp program and diabetes at schools and other locations throughout the community.
Darlene Honigford, social services director at CODA, has organized the camp program for the past 17 years. “Camp is a very special place. It’s a chance for kids with diabetes to come to one spot where everybody else in camp is going through the same thing they’re going through. A good 80 percent of the cabin counselors and the program staff are alumni of the camp, and so they know exactly what these kids are going through. They’re doing everything that a kid without diabetes can do. They can do the traditional camping program, just in a medically supervised environment. Camp is letting kids be kids,” Honigford said.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and affects more than 25.8 million people. One in 400 children is diagnosed with the disease, and one in 10 people in the Central Ohio community will be diagnosed. Children with diabetes need to learn how to manage the disease early to ensure they live a long and healthy life. 
 If you have any questions about The Central Ohio Diabetes Association or the summer camp program and would like to register your child for camp or want to make a camp scholarship donation for a child in need, call the agency at 614-884-4400 or go online to diabetesohio.org. Financial assistance is available for those that qualify. Registration deadlines are approaching quickly, so register soon.