MDA Summer Camp Countdown

MDA Makes Sure Campers - and Parents - are Ready for the Adventure by Jennie Borodko Stack

When warm weather is just around the corner, can thoughts of MDA summer camp be far behind?

This summer, at some 75 to 80 camps from New England to Hawaii, more than 4,000 young people between the ages of 6 and 21 served by MDA will enjoy a wide range of accessible activities, such as arts and crafts, talent night, land and water sports, and dances. One day is dedicated to visits from VIPs, featuring local media, celebrities or sports figures; on another, children at many camps can take rides in motorcycle sidecars offered by Harley-Davidson dealers and riders.

MDA staff and carefully screened volunteers work closely with families before and during camp, both to help the campers have the best time possible and to provide for the child's medical and emotional needs.

Who Will Care for My Child?

Each camp's medical staff comprises doctors and nurses who donate their time for the week. Last year, 247 health-care professionals volunteered their time to help keep campers safe and oversee their medical care.

Counselors — often college students in the helping professions such as medicine, education, occupational or physical therapy — work one-on-one with each camper.

"We select people who we think are the most responsible and enthusiastic," says Anne Swisher, MDA Program Services Coordinator in Houston, who has served as director of several camp sessions. "There are a lot of great people at camp, many of whom have already decided they want to be in a helping kind of profession. When you ask a lot you get it. I think what we see is the best in people."

MDA also requests that prospective campers undergo a medical exam by their physicians within three months of the camp session, and families are asked to complete a detailed form describing the camper's health history, family contact information, and therapy or equipment needs. To help campers feel more comfortable and make the most of their time at camp, the questionnaire also asks about the youth's favorite foods and daily/nightly routines.

Local MDA offices also have several ways of helping families prepare for camp. First-time campers in many areas are put in contact with veteran attendees who can answer questions from a child's point of view, and parents can obtain information from MDA staff and other parents.

A few weeks before the start of camp, many local offices hold open houses to allow families and volunteers to visit the facility and become acquainted with one another. Early communication via cards or phone calls between camper and counselor is encouraged so that counselors can get to know the child's personality and individual care requirements, such as medication, stretching exercises, or lift and transfer methods. At camp, some directors also call parents of first-time youngsters on Monday afternoon to reassure them of the child's well-being after the first night.

Is My Child Ready for Camp?

Perhaps most important for the child's comfort and emotional well-being is readiness for camp, says Katie McGuire, MDA Program Services Coordinator in Towson, Md.

"Not every child is ready at 6. Parents in conjunction with the doctor at the clinic are good at determining that. Even though they may not have been away from home before, if they've completed first grade and enjoy interacting with other kids and have fun being with people outside of their family, we think we can make it a successful week for them," says McGuire, who's directed about 25 MDA camps.

While many kids with neuromuscular diseases look forward all year to their week at summer camp, sometimes even the most confident children and parents may hesitate before the child goes to camp for the first time. Dustin Godfrey of Katy, Texas, hadn't yet served as Gulf Coast regional Goodwill Ambassador when he first went to camp at age 6. The outgoing youngster, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, was eager to attend but as the first day drew near, he began to have some reservations.

"Once he knew who was going to be taking care of him, he was fine," says his mother, Cheryl Godfrey, who also acknowledged her concern that Dustin might miss his home and parents. She advises, "Have confidence in the fact that your child is going to be well taken care of at MDA camp. There are volunteers who have the job of making sure their needs are taken care of, physically and emotionally."

Sometimes a child is ready, but the parent is less so. When 14-year-old Allyson DuPont of Cranston, R.I., received a notice about summer camp at age 8, she was immediately enthusiastic, but her mother, Lina DuPont, was a bit reluctant.

"It's OK for you to think, 'Man, I can't believe they're 8 years old and I'm sending them away for a week overnight and I'm letting someone take care of them around the clock.' It is very hard to do. There's a part of you that feels a little selfish," she acknowledges.

After meeting MDA staff and Allyson's counselor, and visiting the camp, she was reassured. And it turned out that the first session and subsequent years went very well.

"The counselors are really enthusiastic, and as upbeat at the beginning of the week as at the end of the week," says DuPont, who wholeheartedly supports the program.

What Was I Worried About?

DuPont agrees with other parents and MDA staffers who say that children who've attended camp not only make new friends and enjoy activities adapted to their needs, but they also gain a new confidence in and appreciation for their own abilities.

Attention to the needs of the individual child and the many accessible activities at MDA camp combine to offer campers something they don't often experience — a true peer group.

Says DuPont of Allyson's experience, "She spends 51 weeks of the year being different. This is the one week of the year she doesn't have to be different. This the one place where everybody knows what it's like to be you, where you don't have to explain. If there was one reason why you'd want to send your kids there, that would be it."