Summer camps for kids with Type I diabetes are going ahead this summer after volunteers raised the money needed to keep camps in New Brunswick and P.E.I. in operation.
Diabetes Canada announced the closure of its New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Ottawa summer camps for children in January.
At the time, the organization said it chose to amalgamate some of the camps to make them more affordable.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision and we understand that no parent or care-giver would want to see the camp closest to them affected by this news,” said Andrew Young, vice president of programs, services and product development with Diabetes Canada.
READ MORE: Diabetes Canada closing some summer camps in New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Ottawa
Isabelle Cormier, 14, has attended the “D-Camps” for the past seven years and said they’re one of the highlights of her summer — that’s why she was saddened when the closures were first announced.
“I was sad because it is something that I have always looked forward to in the summer,” Cormier said.
Diabetes Canada says it will continue to hold camps in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
But former camper Hannah Chalifoux says it’s far too stressful for some parents to send their kids, who need constant medical care, out of province for camp. As a result, she hopped on board to raise funds to keep the New Brunswick camp alive.
“I know what it is like to live with a chronic illness and how isolating it can be. So, it is really important to come together and really connect with people who are feeling the same things you do,” Chalifoux said.
She and a group of volunteers managed to raise $30,000 so that kids, with the help of camp medical staff who check glucose levels several times a day, can take part in stress-free play.
Chalifoux now serves as the new camp’s leader.
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The World Health Organization estimates that over 422 million people worldwide have diabetes and those numbers continue to grow.
That’s why the Lions Club International has launched a new mission for 2018 to raise funds and awareness of diabetes.
This year the club donated $30,000 to keep the camps in PEI and New Brunswick afloat.
“Next year we are going to try to see if we can up the ante and maybe go for $35,000 to $40,000,” said Jim Aucoin, a district governor of the Lions Club International.