Sickle Cell Disease Association Visits Sickle Cell Camp
Posted by Whitney on 01 Aug 2007 at 4:23 pm | Tagged as: Camp ASCCA Family, Campers, Counselors, Farm, News, Photos, Podcast, Profiles, Summer, Therapeutic Recreation, Video, Zipline | Printer/Text Reader Friendly Version: Print This Post
Sharon Lewis, Executive Director of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America- Central Alabama Chapter, visited Camp ASCCA Sickle Cell campers Tuesday while they participated in the Be Sickle Smart art activity.
…When they come to camp they find their peers, people who have the same kinds of issues they have…
For many years the Sickle Cell Association has been bringing campers to Sickle Cell camp at Camp ASCCA. Sharon Lewis told me that many parents with children who have Sickle Cell Disease are afraid to send their children to camp, but Camp ASCCA offers them the perfect environment to have fun, and socialize with other children who have Sickle Cell Disease.
Children with Sickle Cell most worry about having a pain crisis, and this can be very scary if there is no medical help. Camp ASCCA has nurses right here at camp and the staff takes every precaution to help prevent campers from having a crisis.
She said camp is a wonderful place for children with Sickle Cell because many of them do not know anyone else with Sickle Cell. She said they feel isolated “but when they come to camp the find their peers, people who have the same kind of issues that they have but more importantly people who are learning to live in a positive way with Sickle Cell Disease.”
She also said, children that come to camp get to experience many different things they may not get to try at home. Sickle Cell campers try all of our camp activities including zipline, swimming, tubing, demo farm and many more. Counselors watch them very closely to make sure they do not get too hot, too cold and drink plenty of fluids because these can bring on a crisis. Campers also have the chance to learn more about Sickle Cell Disease and are educated on how to better live with it.
Camp ASCCA loves hosting Sickle Cell camp and is looking forward to the many more years to come! We also want to thank Sharon Lewis for coming to visit. Click on the video below to watch my interview with Sharon Lewis and to find out what else she has to say about camp.
Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.
