Kids enjoy the fun of camp
Children and teenagers with IBD, face the greatest challenges in living with a chronic, unpredictable and embarrassing disease. Belinda Brown
Camp Purple Live is ‘so much more’ than just a camp.
Held at El Rancho in Waikanae last week, Camp Purple Live is a camp for young people affected by Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Crohn’s & Colitis NZ Charitable Trust operational manager Belinda Brown said the camp provides a safe environment for young people to connect with others who have the same disease.
“Camp Purple Live is so much more than just a camp.
“Children and teenagers with IBD face the greatest challenges in living with a chronic, unpredictable and embarrassing disease.
“For many of these kids, living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can be very isolating.
“This is why Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand Charitable Trust started Camp Purple Live back in 2015.
“By providing a safe environment the camp offers our campers, volunteers and parents a unique opportunity.
“This is to interact with others, sometimes for the first time, with peers, role models and other parents who understand the challenges of living with IBD.”
Thirty-seven volunteers have given up a week to be at the camp to help out the 74 campers, including a full medical and nutrition team.
“Many of these volunteers have IBD themselves.”
The camp is for children aged 9-17 with highlights being the water slides, quiz nights, movie nights, team building, kayaking, tubing, wilderness survival, a carnival day and a surprise trip to Wellington Zoo.
The camp also included a junior day for those too young to stay the whole time.
“This year like last, we held a junior day.
“This is a day where kids aged between five and nine with IBD can come to camp with their parents for a day to get a taste of what camp is about and hopefully encourage them to attend when they are old enough.”
This year’s junior day coincided with carnival day featuring carnival games, bouncy castles and fun and games for all ages.
The camp also provides parents an opportunity to talk with medical professionals and attend seminars for parents of children with IBD.
Paraparaumu Beach resident Hannah Morton has been involved since the camp started.
“My initial role was as a group leader however I quickly became the diet coordinator.
“This is important as many individuals affected by IBD have food intolerances and/or have removed certain foods from their diet to aid in keeping their gastrointestinal symptoms at bay, or to lessen them.
“We also have campers on a supplementary liquid diet to ensure they are receiving essential nutrients, particularly those associated with growth.”
Spending most of her time in the kitchen, it has been a busy week for Hannah dealing with different dietary requirements.
Held each year since 2015, the camp has grown with campers from all around New Zealand coming for a week of fun with people who understand them and their condition.