Charlie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 21 months of age. He is now 12 and is continuing to learn how to do type 1 diabetes tasks on his own. One of the best ways we as his parents can support him is by sending him to Camp Seale Harris! Camp offers a variety of opportunities for campers. There are weeklong overnight summer camps, day camps, family weekend camps, and programs. Camp is safe, offers connection for campers and families, creates learning opportunities, and (as Charlie himself would tell you) is FUN!

Safety

Endocrinologists from Children’s Hospital in Birmingham Alabama (including Charlie's own endocrinologist) volunteer their time and expert care for campers. Nurses, diabetes educators, medical students, and counselors, many of whom also have type 1 diabetes, give their time. They ensure that campers safely do the tasks that are required for life with type 1 diabetes. Mealtime insulin dosing, blood sugar checking, and insulin delivery maintenance such as changing infusion sites are monitored by staff and built into campers’ schedules. Routine nighttime blood sugar checks are done for all campers. Having so many staff who know how to handle type 1 diabetes situations is an incredible safety net.

Connection

Dealing with type 1 diabetes can be incredibly isolating. Even when family, siblings, and friends with fully functioning pancreases are loving and supportive, the daily ins and outs of all that T1D requires can feel overwhelming and lonely. Connecting with one friend, or one hundred friends, who understand type 1 diabetes because they also live it is a turning point. Lifelong friendships are forged at Camp Seale Harris. The staff at Camp Seale Harris have created an environment in which campers have opportunities to make new friends, strengthen old friendships, and mix in different groups. Connecting with others is key for handling the mental stress of dealing with a chronic condition like type 1 diabetes.

Learning

Campers come with a variety of experience and skill levels. At check in, parents and campers set goals for learning. Some campers learn how to give themselves insulin, or to change their infusion sites for the first time. Others become more confident at counting mealtime carbs and calculating their insulin dosages. Learning opportunities are part of camp structure.

FUN

Water sliding. Tubing. Zip-lining. Canoeing. Riflery. There is so much to do! Thanks to kind, generous donors we were able to attend several family camp weekends and programs while Charlie was still too young to attend the week long overnight camp. He fell in love with all camp had to offer. So did we! When he turned six he was able to go to overnight camp. On the drive there, he chattered excitedly about the pool, the slide, and the zip line. He already knew what fun was in store for him! At the end of the week when we picked him up, he was happy to see us but before we even drove out of the lot he pleaded, “Can I PLEASE stay here?” 

Camp Seale Harris is an experience we wish for every child with type 1 diabetes, no matter their means. We have set our fundraising goal at $1000 because that is the real cost for one child to attend the weeklong overnight camp. Tuition is already partly covered by generous donors, so the cost to families is $800 for one child to attend for a week. Please help us give this gift to another child so they also can have a safe environment in which to connect with others, learn how to live well with diabetes and create fun summer camp memories like Charlie has!