Thinking back to childhood summers, there’s no greater memory that comes to mind than those of camp. It was a time to get away from home (from parents), to meet new friends and to do all sorts of fun things. It was also a simpler time, when we didn’t have to worry as much about asthma and very few knew what food allergies were. But times they have a’changed and quickly.
Today’s health ailments are affecting a rising number of children, one in 13 for food allergies and one in 10 for asthma, to be exact. The good news is that people all over the world are taking notice and making preparations for accommodating these kids. Yet, regardless, parents still dread sending their kids with food allergies and asthma away for a week(!) to camp, where they can’t hover over their every move in order to protect them.
There are, however, several steps we can take and critical items we can send to help ensure their safety, while they have the time of their lives just as we did.
Talk to the camp’s director and know their policies for caring for kids with food allergies or asthma. Ensure their staff knows how to administer an epinephrine auto-injector should the need arise.
Find a camp that caters to kids with allergies or asthma. They do exist! For example, Camp Catch Your Breath in West Virginia has been welcoming kids with asthma, ages eight through 13, for 25 years. For food allergies, if you’re in the northwest, check out Camp Blue Spruce; or for northeast, look into Camp Emerson in Massachusetts or Camp Pontiac in New York. And if you’re somewhere in between, Camp Westminster’s Free to Be Camp in Michigan or Camp Sweeney’s Children’s Food Allergy Camp in Texas might be for you.
When you arrive, talk to camp counselors about your child’s food allergy or asthma. Show them your child’s allergy or asthma action plan and walk through the steps.
Speak with your child’s physician to ensure there are no concerns with his or her participation, and get an up-to-date prescription if you need one. (Don’t send expired epinephrine auto-injectors, asthma inhalers or maintenance meds!)
When the time comes, pack for success. Critical items include:
Action plan. Print several copies so that they can be strategically kept all over camp in case of an emergency.
Medicine bag. Whether for asthma or allergies, make sure it’s stocked with all of your kid’s life-saving medicines, as well as a copy of the action plan.
An ice pack. Epinephrine auto-injectors are NOT made to withstand extreme heat, and neither are insulated bags. Make sure your bag can accommodate an ice pack if your child will be responsible for his or her own medicine.
Safe snacks. As with anything, make sure your kid has a good stock of allergy-friendly snacks, so that they don’t go hungry or get put in a position to make bad decisions.
Alert accessories. Don’t forget to send your child’s alert bracelet, dog tag or other accessory to help remind others of his or her ailments.
Lastly, parents, take a deep breath. Most camps have medical staff on site who are trained to handle emergencies. The good news is that if you’ve taken the appropriate precautions and educated your children about their health, they’ll likely have adventures of the best kind, as well as memories to last a lifetime.