My son was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on Jan 3. It has been a crazy month with trying to figure out all the information and care that my son needs.
My wife and I are trying to figure out summer camp for my boys. We live in the Collegeville Pa area. We want to keep our boys together in the same camp. My older son is 10 and my son that was diagnosed is 8. So if anyone can pass along some information that would be much appreciated.
They would need to be in camp for a total of 6 to 7 weeks.
My concern would be that the camps would have medical staff or counselors that are trained in diabetes care.
Also if there is financial aid available to attend theses camps.
Hey!
I can’t speak for the specific area in which you live, but I do know the ADA (american diabetes association) has summer camps for kids with T1 and their siblings. My twin brother and I (he doesn’t have T1) did one of these camps a few years ago and it was an amazing experience for both of us; it felt like a regular camp with normal summer activities but the staff were able to help with insulin dosing, etc. I highly recommend looking into it.
Best of luck!
Hello, I have gone to a camp in Massachusetts that offers a total of 7 weeks from 3 different sessions in the summer. In between the sessions, you have to go home because of the preparations for the next session. They do give financial aid, however it is very minimal. Now that I’m older, I haven’t attended in the past few years because of the price (since I can cope with not going anymore), however I’d say that the experience is a 10/10. The camp is called Camp Joslin (Boys) and they are associated with he Barton Center which also has a camp for girls that they run with the same name (Camp Barton) (Girls), so googling the Barton Center for Diabetes Education might give you some more information if you are interested. (Camp Joslin would be on their website.)
I know of a T1D camp, but it is not as long as you hope.
It’s called Camp Conrad Chinoock and specializes in giving T1D the opportunity to attend camp for a few weeks surrounded by people with the same condition. It is in California and all the counselors either have or know someone that have diabetes. There is also an on-call nutritionist and doctors program specializing in diabetes so they will be able to take care of any diabetes program. My endocrinologist sometimes pops in and the doctors shadow him at his certain practices throughout Calif. They do offer financial aid and it is all in all a super fun experience.
The local community college had college for kids. There were naturally multiple nurses on campus. Before camp I brought the same information to the community college as I did to their regular school. I also made a flyer for each class for the teachers notebook with their pictures, emergency contacts, a box with snacks as well as some in their backpack, etc…
Camps within my school district or close by school districts. (They usually have a nurse on staff)
The children’s hospital had a camp for a week.
A place where the siblings can be together. The sibling knows what to do.
Supplement with FMLA. The doctor can provide documentation.
I had given instructions to their friends mothers, so some of them would watch the boys. I would pay them or do an exchange. Between a few of us we might just 1 or 2 days a week.