Community Corner

Fun and Education at Glen Ellyn Camp for Kids with Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association operates an annual five-day summer camp at HealthTrack Sports Wellness to teach, empower and entertain.

At an ordinary summer camp, mandatory regular blood glucose checks might make a kid stick out, but at the American Diabetes Association's Camp Discovery in Glen Ellyn, it's as natural as dodgeball or arts and crafts, the Suburban Life reports.

According to the paper, the camp, which held its session for younger kids (4-9) from June 24-28, pairs routine summer-camp fun with education about handling a Type I diabetic body, such as eating correctly and knowing how to properly inject insulin.

At the June session, about 55 children attended the camp, which is run largely by volunteers and also has two overnight sessions for older children, the paper said.

"We want our kids to come to camp like everybody else does, to be able to play the games and have the fun and meet the friends and do the activities," Sue Apsey, ADA associate director of youth initiatives, told the paper.

"It really is that idea that you can do what everybody else is doing, but you have to take care of your diabetes."

Read the full story at the Suburban Life website.


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