Living with Diabetes
Camp is Good for the Whole Family
Diabetes Camp — Good for the Whole Family
Going to an American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Camp is a big step — not only for the child with diabetes, but for their parents as well.
Many parents worry that their child will get homesick during the week of Camp, but few ever think about how they will handle a week away from their child.
“Matthew surprised us by accepting the new challenge like a little champion,” said Tom G. of Mandeville, La. “On the other hand, [my wife] Kathy and I had a very difficult time letting go of our precious package. Sunday night we could not sleep, we just did not know what to do with ourselves.”
Often parents get so busy taking care of their child, that they don’t notice how exhausted they are or how deeply diabetes affects their lives. “I realized that the feeling I had after we dropped off Matthew at Camp was similar to the feeling of being fired from a job. I had no idea how much work we had done in the past few years and what it meant to let go...even for a little while,” said Tom.
With Matthew safe at Camp, Tom was able to finally take some time to think about how diabetes has affected every fabric of his family. “I thought about our daughter, Mariah who doesn’t have diabetes, and how strongly this disease affects her. She sees our special relationship with Matthew and knows this is a relationship she can’t compete with,” he said. “And I feel horrible about it.”
Camp is not only a learning experience for the child with diabetes — it’s also a learning experience for parents. “My take away from the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Camp was perspective,” said Tom. “I will try to give Mariah more attention, lead the way for Matthew to begin his journey of self sufficiency and most importantly, spend more quality time with Kathy.”
“It finally came to me that Camp is as much for us as it is for Matthew.”
