Education Belgium Project #19597

Catch Your Dream Summer Camp

by European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations

Project Report | May 26, 2015
Continuing a create project

By CB | Volunteer

While we end this project here the project will not end. We will keep on creating summer camps. This year there will be hopefully again several summer camps troughout Europe.

Our first summer camp was helt in New Zealand. You can read about that in our magazine.

Our first summer camp

On January 25th 2015, 45 children (aged 9-19 years) from throughout New Zealand gathered in a small conference room on the mezzanine level of Auckland airport. It marked the beginning of a week long camp, the first in New Zealand for kids with Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

It was an uncomfortable beginning. The majority of the kids arrived on their own and did not know anyone else in the room. For most of the children, it was the first time that they had been in the company of someone their own age who shared the same condition.

By the end of the week the change was dramatic. Being with other kids on the same medications, with the same symptoms, and the same challenges, allowed the children to relax, develop strong friendships, and a sense of belonging that is difficult to convey in words. Activities were challenging and included laser tag, rock wall climbing, rope courses archery, and a confidence course. The camp was conceived and run by Crohn’s and Colitis NZ (CCNZ) and represented over a year of hard work by a small committee. The cost of the camp, including airfares, as well as a two day networking and educational seminar attended by twenty parents, was entirely underwritten by CCNZ. There were several challenges, especially for an organisation which was established only five years ago. Money needed to be raised, policy and procedure

medical manuals written, campers and volunteers recruited, and medical personnel approached to staff the camp. The list of things to do seemed endless. Planning a full week of activities, arranging transportation for campers and volunteers from all over the country, deciding how to administer medications, and obtaining and reviewing the medical histories of each child. But committed volunteers often do what others might consider impossible.

The feedback from the campers was overwhelming and we truly believe we made a difference to the lives of many of these kids. In a post-camp questionnaire 100% of the children responded that they would recommend the camp to other kids with IBD. Every volunteer has volunteered again for next year! One child captured what the camp was all about: “I enjoyed talking to other kids going through the same conditions as me because I didn’t know a lot of people with Crohn’s, because I am the only person in my family with Crohn’s disease. It’s not that I want more people with Crohn’s, but I loved knowing that I wasn’t alone. I loved all the activity’s not only because they were fun but because it made everyone trust one another more.”

You are invited to watch a video that appeared in the NZ Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/life-style/ news/video.cfm?c_id=1503081&gal_ cid=1503081&gallery_id=147807 A heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers and medical team for their hard work and commitment in making Camp Purple Live such a success. The warmth, caring and leadership demonstrated cannot be overstated. Special thanks to our principal sponsors Jetstar, Auckland Round-The-Bays Run, Janssen, AbbVie, and Pharmaco and to the NW Chapter of the CCFA for their help. Your support and generosity helped make our dream become a reality. Now we are looking at Camp Purple Live 2016! Crohn s and Colitis New Zealand

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