Autoimmune diseases can strike kids too. This camp lets those kids just be kids

Category: (Self-Study) Health

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It may sound surprising, but children can get lupus, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases, although they’re not as common in children as adults. These youngsters’ lives are often filled with hospital appointments and medicines, but a special summer camp allows them to enjoy life like other children.

Symptoms of these diseases in youngsters can sometimes be more severe, and treating growing bodies is challenging. Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen is 11 years old, and he has a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. His family doctor suggested the camp, and he’s enjoying every minute of it. “I haven’t gone before, and it’s kind of like a new experience, you know? It’s very fun to kind of go away and do activities I haven’t done before, especially with different groups of kids,” says Blanchfield-Killeen.

The camp is a partnership with Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. And a rheumatologist is on hand to give out medicines, do check-ups, and be present for any issues that may arise for the children.

Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares, a Pediatric Rheumatologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, says at the camp the children can enjoy themselves without worrying about their illnesses. “A lot of our patients have chronic diseases, and we wanted them to feel what it is to be in a summer camp, not being worried about their disease and going to the hospital,” she says.

Vasquez-Canizares says many people just aren’t aware that children can have these chronic diseases. “A lot of people are not aware that these diseases can happen. And most of the time they think it only happen in adulthood. Right? So, when I meet people that are like, wait, what? Can kids have arthritis? Can kids have lupus? It’s like, yeah, they do,” she says.

The Frost Valley YMCA camp welcomes children throughout the summer to do rope courses, swim in the lake, garden, and other camp traditions.

This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.

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[Frost Valley YMCA campgrounds]

[Silhouette of plants by water]

[Kayaks on water]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “I haven’t gone before and it’s kind of like a new experience, you know? It’s very fun to kind of go away and do activities I haven’t done before, especially with different groups of kids.”

[Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen and Dylan Aristy Mota playing games in the wellness center at the Frost Valley YMCA camp]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “It was my doctor. My doctor recommended it.”

[Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares doing a check-up on Ethan at camp]

Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares (interview): “A lot of our patients have chronic diseases and we wanted them to feel what it is to be in a summer camp not being worried about their disease and going to the hospital.”

[Ethan playing a paint tagging game at Frost Valley YMCA camp]

Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares (interview): “A lot of people are not aware that these diseases can happen. And most of the time they think it only happens in adulthood. So when I meet people that are like, wait, what? Like, can kids have arthritis? Can kids have lupus? It’s like, yeah, they do.”

[Ethan playing a paint tagging game at Frost Valley YMCA camp]

[Kids playing a game at Frost Valley YMCA camp]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “I think I might’ve gone to one appointment with a arthritis doctor, or rheumatoid doctor, and they saw I had something and on the second or third visit, they saw I had arthritis.”

[Kids participating in a high ropes activity together]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “It’s kind of like joint pain, and it’s hard to move it a bit. And I can’t move it in certain ways. And my legs get sleepy.”

[Dylan Aristy Mota participating in a high ropes activity]

Dylan Aristy Mota (interview): “I have my medical condition, lupus.”

[Dylan playing pickleball at camp]

Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares (interview): “If I see them, it’s like, that child doesn’t have arthritis, that child does not have lupus, it seems like they’re mingling really well with other kids.”

[Kids at camp spotting a bald eagle from the pickleball courts]

[Rain]

[Kids watching the rain from a covered porch]

[Shoes stepping in a puddle]

Dylan Aristy Mota (interview): “It causes rashes and sores in my mouth.”

[Medicine on the table]

[Dylan taking his medicines]

[Dylan with Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares at the camp’s wellness center]

Dylan Aristy Mota (interview): “It was a bit nervous racking, because I didn’t know what was wrong with me.”

[Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares doing a check-up on Dylan at the camp’s wellness center]

Dylan Aristy Mota (interview): “Because if they’re there and anything else pops up, they can catch it faster than if I had to wait until we got home.”

[Camp cabin exterior]

[Ethan walking through his cabin]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “I get to kind of do stuff that I don’t really do a lot, and I don’t really have to worry about my arthritis while doing it.”

[Ethan playing a game with other camp members]

Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen (interview): “It’s really nice just doing the special activities and just messing around with your friends and all day just having a blast.”

[Ethan playing a game with other camp members]

This script was provided by The Associated Press.