Back from Camp

I just recently got back from my first ever visit to Camp Dermadillo, part of the Camp Discovery program coordinated by the American Academy of Dermatology for young people with chronic skin conditions. While they are there, participants can take part in fun camping activities like fishing, swimming, boating and hiking with other young people living with similar skin conditions, with the safety and security of onsite dermatologists and nurses at the camp.

While I was there, I served as a camp counselor. There were about 72 campers from all over the U.S. and one international camper from Nigeria. To attend, camper had to be nominated by their doctors. Because this camp is extended to people with a variety of skin conditions, I learned a lot about many other skin conditions that I had never heard of before or seen. I encountered over 20 different kinds of conditions and many of them, very rare.

As for the other camp counselors, most of them were third- or fourth-year dermatology residents, so it was great to get to know them as well and tell them all about our EB Resources community in case they work with an EB patient in the future. They can share all about our community with those patients and let them know there’s a place to voice, listen and learn from one another about EB.

I was really impressed with how well-organized the camp was managed. The kids seemed to have a great time and there was so much for them to do – horseback riding, biking, canoes, fishing, archery, noodle hockey, dance, panning for gold and plenty of nature activities. The high rope with the zip line was the big hit with my cabin group. And the camp did a really good job of alternating the kinds of activities and themes from day to day, like one morning was water day with a slip and slide, musical tubes (like musical chairs), relay races involving the water and much more. Then they had plenty of fun nighttime activities. A med-flight helicopter landed at camp and the kids got a chance to meet the medical staff and take turns sitting in the helicopter. There was a magician and a carnival, sports and board game night, even a talent show! On the last night, the kids got to experience limo rides, perfect since the overall theme of the week was “The Oscars.”

I loved my cabin group, made up of girls ages 8-9. We had a ball the last night dressing up for our own “Oscars Night,” boas around their necks, decked out in fancy dress-up clothes. The moment they announced that a limo was waiting for everyone, the girls screamed with excitement! Once we were in the limo, one little girl said, “This is just like my daydreams.” She was so adorable. I especially loved watching the kids help one another. If one of them would get homesick, the others really made an effort to cheer that person up. I watched older kids let younger kids go first in line or sometimes even let them win a game to improve the little camper’s confidence. It was really heartwarming to watch.

Camp Dermadillo is a great way for children with EB to experience independence and for parents to be completely at ease that their children will be well taken care of during the week. Each cabin has four counselors plus a doctor (most of the cabin counselors are also dermatology residents). The dermatologist would be with us during all of our activities, and medications would be given at needed times during the day. The infirmary also had a bathtub in case that was needed by any camper.

I know that it can be very scary for us as parents to let go for a week or even an hour, but it truly benefits our kids to get the chance to be with other kids just like them or a kid dealing with similar issues or the stares that sometimes happen. Watching the kids come out of their shells and feel good about themselves are moments that should not be denied.

If you should happen to send your child to such a camp like Camp Dermadillo in the future, go all out when packing. Usually, the camp will send parents a list of things to bring to camp beforehand and there may be a different color theme each day for clothing. For example, on red day, kids might wear a red t-shirt, red shorts, red beads or silly bandz, red hair ribbons or bandanas. They had fun with it and that’s what you should do when you take part in a camp like this. I too tried to wear the color each day which wasn’t always easy, but always made for interesting pictures! And I’m very proud to say that on Awards Night, I was given the official Dynamic Dermadillo Diva Award, an honor that I will treasure.

All in all, I was so impressed with the staff at Camp for All who host and lead all of the activities for each camp that attends throughout the year. I highly recommend parents look into what the camp involves and if interested, talk to their physician about suggesting them for one of next year’s camps.