SUMMER PROGRAMS ABOUND FOR CHILDREN WITH DIABETES

Canoeing, archery and water polo– oh, my!

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi proudly supports Forrest General Hospital’s diabetes camp at the Twin Lakes Conference Center in Florence and the Camp Hopewell diabetes camp in Oxford. Both camps offer children with diabetes the opportunity to make lifelong friendships with other children just like themselves– without letting diabetes hold them back! Some of the week’s activities include playing tennis, swimming, canoeing and participating in water carnivals and flour-bomb wars.

The first weeklong camp will beheld June 22 to 28 at Camp Hopewell. From July 6 to 12, another camp session will be held at Camp Hopewell. The Twin Lakes diabetes camp will be held July 28 to August 2.

“Friendships and connections, support groups and networking– all of these things can be found at diabetes camps,” said Diabetes Foundation Associate Director Irena McClain, MPH. “These are places where friends share their dreams and then go hiking or play water polo. Here young people with diabetes check their blood sugar levels together, compete in games of tug-a-war together and cope together.”

The Twin Lakes camps are open to participants between the ages of seven and 17, and the Camp Hopewell camp is available for those between the ages of seven and 16. For additional details about health form requirements, arrival and departure times, registration deadlines, prices and a list of things to bring, please contact Marcia Collins at 601-584-6081 for the Forrest General camp, or call 662-234-2254 for information on Camp Hopewell in Oxford.

Camp scholarships are available for families who demonstrate a need. Contact the Diabetes Foundation for more information.

“These camps are a great way for children and teens to learn how to better manage their diabetes while having fun at the same time,” said McClain. “It is so important that these young people know that although they have diabetes, they do not have to live a life inhibited by the disease. They can do anything, and at these camps, they do everything from participating in challenging ropes courses to playing team sports.”

Likewise, the Diabetes Foundation hosts its own camp for children with diabetes twice a year. Camp Kandu– where children with diabetes ‘kandu’ anything– incorporates this same spirit of camaraderie and education, as children learn how to better control their diabetes while participating in fun activities simultaneously. The next camp will be offered November 1 and 2 at the Twin Lakes Conference Center in Florence.

And don’t forget the Foundation’s school program, “It’s Not a Sweet Subject”– a program for schools with students with diabetes. Call to have the free teacher-training program implemented just in time for the new school year. The program offers education credits for the participating schools but more importantly, equips teachers with the tools necessary to recognize and prevent diabetes-related emergencies with their students.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) knows that people with diabetes deserve the care, services and compassion that only a local nonprofit organization can give. From the youngest child to the senior citizens, the Diabetes Foundation is committed to providing a good quality of life and helping hand to all Mississippians whose lives have been touched by this disease.

For more information about the Diabetes Foundation or any of its programs for teens and children, please call 1-877-DFM-CURE or visit www.msdiabetes.org.