Kids With Diabetes Find Common Ground At Camp Adam Fisher

A nervous little girl sang a solo. A boy counted to one hundred in Spanish. A trio dressed in stars and stripes performed the national anthem. As one child after another took the stage, an audience of their peers cheered them on with chants “You go, girl!” and “Julia rules!”

To the casual observer, the event would appear to be a talent show at any summer camp. Only a closer inspection would reveal that the colorful wristbands all the campers sported weren’t friendship bracelets, but a means of identifying the number of calories each child was permitted to consume. And the small devices clipped to many waistbands weren’t beepers, but pumps delivering a steady flow of insulin to bodies that weren’t producing insulin on their own. The children in attendance at this camp have diabetes (their siblings and friends are also welcome to attend), and their entire experience at Camp Adam Fisher is structured to help them learn more about diabetes and to interact with others who also live with the disease.

Now in its 36th year, Camp Adam Fisher is a collaborative project between the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and operates with the support of the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina. (see below). For the past six years Elizabeth Todd Heckel, a social worker in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and a certified diabetes educator, has served as the camp’s program director. Every summer between 150 and 180 children from ages 7 to 17 spend a week at a wooded retreat on Lake Marion in Summerton. While fun is spelled out innumerable ways, from canoeing and cookouts to basketball and blobbing (a popular waterfront activity involving a huge canvas balloon and children being propelled into the lake), there is no question that the week is dedicated to the specific needs of children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. “All of the activities are based on healthy diabetes management,” said Todd Heckel, noting that every day starts with testing blood sugars.

Blood sugars continue to be tested throughout each day, and the campers’ lineup of meals and snacks are carefully planned in advance to meet required carbohydrate levels. A volunteer infirmary staff of over 50 health care professionals monitors the children’s health status, handles any medical problems that arise, and teaches the campers skills and strategies for managing diabetes on a day-to-day basis.

A good bit of learning also occurs at Camp Adam Fisher as the campers share their experiences among themselves. Now a counselor, 22-year-old Maria McGregor has been attending since she was in the first grade. “I was the only one in my school with diabetes. Camp let me know other kids were out there with the same thing.” She also found that, “Through different stages of your life the camp helps you with different things.” For 18-year-old counselor Lauren Mobley, her own learning process continues even as she provides guidance to the younger girls in her charge. As she prepared to enter Furman University in the fall she noted, “My best friend from camp has been giving me ideas on how to manage my diabetes and situations like staying up until two in the morning to do studying.”

Learning also takes place through modeling. Dietitian Stephanie Peter, who herself has diabetes, has watched the number of children using insulin pumps instead of injections increase each summer in the three years she has volunteered at camp. “They see other kids on the pump and how normal they are, and they want to go on it,” she said.

Campers find a comforting acceptance from others who share the ins and outs of diabetes, which schoolmates and even friends don’t always understand. McGregor recalls sleepovers as she was growing up when her mom had to tag along to take care of her. Mobley struggled with the fact that she needed to have snacks in class, where no one else was allowed to eat. At camp no explanations are necessary. “Today we mud wrestled, and if you had to stop because your blood sugar was low nobody cared,” Mobley said.

As friendships develop, campers stay in touch when they go back home to communities around the state. They also look forward to seeing familiar faces as many return to Camp Adam Fisher year after year. “Friends from camp are awesome,” Mobley said simply. “The friend you make at camp is somebody who truly understands what you are going through,” said Todd Heckel. She explained, “It gives you someone you can pick up the phone with and say, ‘I have just about had it with pricking my finger!’”

Campers and counselors aren’t the only ones who look forward to their annual week at camp. Many of the nurses, physicians, dietitians and pharmacists on staff have been volunteering their time for years, including the four faculty members from the USC School of Medicine who were on board this year. “They like the camaraderie and the fun. We have all become good friends working towards a common goal of providing a really unique experience for these children,” said Todd Heckel. “It truly is the Camp Adam Fisher family,” she added. Even though Peter moved from South Carolina to Illinois last year, she felt herself drawn back this summer. “Diabetes is my passion. I know what it’s like to be in these kids’ shoes,” she said.

As children, teens, and adults learn and play at Camp Adam Fisher, the impact of their time together is evident. “I’ve watched a number of children grow up at this camp. I’ve seen kids take more responsibility for their diabetes management, and kids become role models for younger children. My goal is for them to never use diabetes as an excuse to keep them from what they want to do in life,” Todd Heckel said. Mobley couldn’t agree more. “Camp shows you that you can be a normal kid. You just have to test your blood sugars,” she said.

Support From The Diabetes Initiative

The Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina was created through legislation in 1994 to address the prevalence of diabetes in the state through community outreach, education, and surveillance programs. The initiative unites the resources of health professionals throughout the state, drawing leadership from both the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. In addition to a Diabetes Center of Excellence at MUSC, an initiative site is based at the USC School of Medicine. Camp Adam Fisher is one of the ongoing projects supported by the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina.

This year Camp Adam Fisher became a 501-C-3 not-for-profit organization. Monies used to manage the almost $100,000 budget are raised by volunteers with in-kind support from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and the Medical University of South Carolina. Financial support is also provided by numerous foundations, including Central Carolina Community Foundation and the Spartanburg Community Foundation.

Reprinted from Connections newsletter, September 2003

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