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Camp Adam Fisher: a place of common bond by Mary Helen Yarborough Public Relations For a few days, diabetes didn’t seem all that bad for the children who gathered for fun and friendship at Camp Adam Fisher in Summerton.   During June 5-10, the 160 children got to do what most other children dream of—swim in a big lake, make crafts and meet new friends that share a common bond.   These children, who came from every corner of South Carolina and from all backgrounds, have Type I and Type II diabetes. About 95 percent of them are insulin-dependent. Most have Type I diabetes.   While at camp, most of the children, who ranged from 6 to 17 years of age, still had to take their insulin shots and all had to eat foods better suited for those with diabetes. But the distractions of the great outdoors and the assistance of 40 volunteers made staying at Camp Adam Fisher a real vacation; a memorable adventure that also was educational.   Camp Adam Fisher, located on Lake Marion, is South Carolina’s largest overnight camp designed for children with diabetes. (The camp is not only for those with diabetes. The children with diabetes also are welcome to bring their siblings and friends.)   The campers not only enjoy the camp experience but they also learn more about diabetes management and making friends with those who share the same struggles.   The camp is held each year and is staffed by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, medical students, other medical staff, and other volunteers (many from MUSC) who give their time to ensure that children have a fun and safe experience. The medical staff was mostly volunteers from MUSC, many from the Pediatric Endocrinology Department.   Yaw Appiagyei-Dankah, M.D., director of MUSC’s Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, serves as the medical director for the camp. He supervises all the volunteer medical staff, and leads a group of nurses and dietitians to write the medical guidelines for treating the children while in camp.   “For me the greatest satisfaction I derived from camp is seeing the children play and interact with each other, while their parents take a much needed break from the daily grind of caring for them,” Appiagyei-Dankah said. “Being with and among them makes me experience how they live day in and day out with diabetes. The camp experience also affords me the opportunity to observe firsthand the effect of physical activity on blood glucose control. When we see them in the clinic, it is a different feeling altogether. It is a great joy to see them learn from, and encourage each other.”   Volunteers had the responsibility of caring for acute illnesses, providing appropriate doses of insulin, trouble shooting insulin pump errors and assessing the dreaded 2 a.m. blood glucose levels, “which meant very little sleep by the week’s end,” said Laura Nance, registered dietitian and diabetes educator.   Camp Adam Fisher has helped children learn from one another and begin to assume responsibility of their care without the stigma of feeling different from other children.   Many of the children are treated by MUSC endocrinologists and pediatri-cians, while others are treated by physicians in other facilities around the state.   “The biggest outcome for these children is that they are more aware of their disease, and how to handle it better on a day to day basis,” Nance said. “They also learn how to be a little more independent, and they form relation-ships with other kids that are dealing with the same disease. It empowers them. They gained more selfconfidence, because they don’t feel so different. But most importantly, the kids had fun.” A hard road ahead Life will not be easy for most people diagnosed with diabetes. Unless advances in treatment are made, some of these children may face vascular disease, kidney failure, impaired vision, and a host of other complications brought on by diabetes. South Carolina carries the unfortunate distinction of having among the highest rates of diabetes. MUSC is making significant gains in research and treatment of the disease.    Regardless of medical advances, the consistent theme for treating or living with diabetes is diet. Perhaps more than any other disease, a person’s diet is directly linked to the management of diabetes.   This year at Camp Adam Fisher, the food service staff included two MUSC dietitians and several dietetic interns from around the state. The dietitians’ roles included planning healthy menus, determining carbohydrate quantities, and ensuring each camper is fed appropriately. Three meals and two snacks were served to campers and volunteers daily for a week for a grand total of— a lot of food, to go along with a lot of fun for everyone.   Planning for camp begins in September and a series of meetings are held periodically until camp starts the following year.   For more information about the camp or volunteering, contact the program director, Elizabeth Todd-Heckel at (803) 434-2442.     Friday, June 30, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.