Allergy & Asthma Advocate: Spring 1999 How to Implement an Asthma Camp in Your Area by Wilma C. Light, M.D., FAAAAI Wilma C. Light, M.D., FAAAAI, assists a young camper at "Camp Breathe E-Z" Day asthma camps are a great way to reach your community and provide asthma education. These camps allow children to interact with other children who have asthma, so they realize they’re not alone in managing their disease. They also learn that, with proper management, asthma can’t stop them from having fun! The only things needed to set up and conduct a camp are the five "V"s and an "R": Vision, Vim and Vigor, Volunteers, Variety and Resources. Following is a description of an asthma camp we’ve been running in our community. Hopefully, this description will encourage other parents and physicians to set up asthma camps in their communities. The camp’s beginnings The roots of our camp, "Camp Breathe E-Z," were established fourteen years ago by several visionary pediatric nurses at Latrobe Area Hospital who thought it would be helpful to have a day for patients to come and learn about asthma. The first meeting was held at a local park. Today, the program serves children throughout Western Pennsylvania through the auspices of the American Respiratory Alliance of Western Pennsylvania, formerly the local American Lung Association chapter. Over the last 14 years, 8,385 children have been able to attend the camp and learn about their asthma. In 1999, 14 camp sessions are slated to be offered, free of charge, to children in the region. Learning made fun The objective of asthma day camp is to make learning fun and interactive. As the children report for registration, each brings forms previously completed by his or her parents or caretakers. Each child is examined and the camper’s recent history of asthma symptoms is reviewed. Peak flow readings for each child are then taken, and arrangements made for the administration of any necessary prescription medications during the day and evening. After an introduction, campers are separated into small groups. The groups tour different stations where they learn information such as proper use of an inhaler and how to use a peak flow meter. They also learn proper asthma management and review a plan of action. Parents may either accompany their children or attend an educational session directed to them, hosted by a local physician(s). After a picnic-style lunch (usually pizza), campers are offered the chance to go swimming while their parents receive further education on the treatment and management of asthma. At the end of the day, each camper receives an award for attending the camp, and donated giveaways such as t-shirts and gym bags. Volunteers and sponsors essential The vim and vigor in asthma camps comes from volunteers. We have a professional organizer, Jeannie Simms, who enables everything to run smoothly. She is the person who does all the legwork and ensures that all activities fall into place. Others who work at the camp include physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, home health care personnel, emergency personnel, dieticians, junior and senior counselors and community volunteers. While there are some similarities every year, the camp always offers variety. This past year, a speaker from the Department of Health spoke about a program offering health insurance to uninsured children. Our resources are provided by our sponsors, including including local pharmaceutical firms, which provide peak flow meters and t-shirts; hospital staff, who help with the lunch; and local pizza shops, which donate the lunch food. The format of Camp Breathe E-Z emphasizes interactive learning. Often, we work with the parents on themes of concern to all of us, such as how to interface with the local school to ensure that children’s asthma is properly managed while in the classroom. Parents offer useful suggestions. Each "learner" is then a teacher. For more information on asthma camps in your area, contact the Consortium on Children’s Asthma Camps. Sponsors of this collaborative organization include the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), the American Academy of Pediatrics, section of Allergy and Immunology, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American Lung Association, the American Thoracic Society and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. For the most recent listing of asthma camps, visit the Patient/Public Resource Center of the AAAAI’s Web site, or call the Consortium on Children’s Asthma Camps at the American Lung Association, 1-800-LUNG-USA. <back>