Intended for US audience only.
Summer Camps
Most children return from summer camp with a suntan, new friends, and stories to share about their experience. Children who attend hemophilia camp return home with all of this, plus an increased sense of self-confidence, a new-found sense of community, and, for many boys, the ability to self-infuse.
A Proud Tradition
The first summer camp for children with hemophilia was established as a pilot project in 1969, with a key goal being to teach children with hemophilia to self-infuse. At the conclusion of the week-long project, the authors of the study declared it a success "medically, socially and recreationally."1
In the years since, hemophilia camps have become increasingly popular. Today, the National Hemophilia Foundation and local chapters sponsor over 40 hemophilia camps.
Life-Changing Benefits
For many children, camp is the first time that they have been around other children and adults with hemophilia. This camaraderie provides campers with a sense of relief that they are not the only ones with hemophilia and with an opportunity to share with others. Counselors and staff encourage children to talk about everything from feelings about hemophilia to practical tips for coping. As a result, children emerge from camp as stronger, more self-reliant individuals.
Focus on Self-Infusing
Learning self-infusion continues to be an important benefit of hemophilia camp. While it is not a requirement, camp directors and staff encourage children as young as age 7 to learn to self-infuse. For many children, seeing their peers self-infuse is a strong incentive to learning.
Camps for families often introduce parents to the concept of infusing at home, which can have a life-changing impact. Learning to infuse provides families with a greater sense of control and independence.
How to Sign Up
If you'd like to enroll your child or your whole family in hemophilia camp, contact your local chapter or treatment center. (To find the camp closest to you, visit the NHF's camp directory.)
If you are an older teen interested in becoming a counselor, call your local camp and ask if you can sign up for a counselor-in-training or junior counselor program.
- Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 3, 1970.
Note: thereforyou.com does not recommend a particular treatment for specific individuals and recommends that you consult your treatment center or physician before pursuing any course of treatment.
