Since 1975 over 1,000 kids have benefited from this unique program. Throughout the eight weeks of summer children on dialysis attend any one of four sessions on 6,000 acres in the heart of the Catskill forest preserve, thanks to the Ruth Carole Gottscho Kidney Foundation of Short Hills, New Jersey.

“For two weeks our dialysis campers feel just like every other child going to camp,” said Jerry Huncosky, Frost Valley CEO. “That’s what makes this camp so different,” Huncosky continued, “campers on dialysis go to all the same activities like hiking, climbing, campfires, horseback riding, as their cabin mates, and they learn all about kidneys, de-mystifying the ailment and the treatment.”

Amanda Harrowfield, a former dialysis camper, said, "I was a shy girl before I came to camp. I learned to rely on the other campers, trusted them enough to share my 'secret’ and I really came out of my shell." Amanda returned to camp summer after summer and became a counselor helping other dialysis campers.

Children with kidney disease may have trouble fitting in, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK recommends integrating young kidney patients into mainstream activities, suggesting that parents may feel protective of a sick child, but should not limit activity unless instructed by a doctor.

Last summer Marlon Haley was on his own for the first time -- as a dialysis camper. His mother, Maryann Haley, said, “He was just 12 years old. It was hard for me to let go but he really grew from the experience and became more independent.”

“Marlon loved it,” said his mother. “He loved the food, the counselors, the activities, his cabin mates. He’s signed up to return this July,” Mrs. Haley said.

Each summer part of the health center becomes a satellite operation of the Nephrology Department of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, directed by Frederick J. Kaskel, MD, PhD, and Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, NYC. It contains full-service hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis units. Experienced pediatric nephrologists and nephrology nurses arrange treatment schedules to minimize time away from camp activities.

Eva Gottscho named the foundation for her daughter who had kidney failure and made this thirty-year long commitment possible by funding the additional medical staff and equipment. She will address the Frost Valley annual meeting on May 17 at Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, NJ. (Call 973-744-3488 for reservations.)

Frost Valley YMCA is a year-round camping and conference facility serving 35,000 people annually with family weekend programs, environmental education for students, and summer camp. For 104 years Frost Valley’s focus on spirit, mind, and body has promoted positive character traits, outdoor activity, and the value of nature. Call 845-985-2291 for program information.

© 2005 HealthNewsDigest.com