Camp del Corazon (Camp of the Heart) was inspired by a patient of Dr. Kevin Shannon. Even though the young man had undergone an operation that dramatically improved the function of his heart, he was still suffering from emotional pain. He was back in school, back in little league baseball, even trying in-line skating for the first time, but he was so embarrassed by his scars that he wouldn't remove his shirt to be examined by the doctor.
Dr. Shannon felt that if his patient could spend time with other kids who'd had heart surgery, he'd be less self-conscious. He located a camp in Louisiana for kids with heart disease, but the young man's mother just couldn't bear to send him so far away. When Dr. Shannon discussed the situation with Lisa Knight, R.N., her solution was simple: "We can do that." And so they did.
They set about fund-raising to ensure that the medically-supervised summer camp would be free for children ages 7-17 who had heart disease. When Camp del Corazon began in 1995, 49 campers spent three days on beautiful Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. Over the years, the camp has grown to three five-day sessions with more than 350 campers. Camp del Corazon is staffed completely by volunteer counselors, nurses, and physicians who give of their hearts to help these special kids.
Camp del Corazon has grown into a non-profit organization dedicated to providing experiential programs for children and families living with heart disease. Programs include a free-of-charge, residential summer camp, virtual programs, leadership retreats, educational symposiums and family weekend programs custom designed to enrich the lives of their unique population. Each year we serve more than 600 children and families because of your support!