Some of you also were notified via email of an upcoming debut of kids from Camp del Corazon (Camp of the Heart) and camp spokesman Tom Arnold on the final season of the tv show ER. They will appear on air of this weeks episode scheduled Thursday 3/26/09 at 10pm PST. Don't forget to set your DVR. If you miss the show you can watch the full episode at http://www.nbc.com/ER/. This episode will portray the unique relationships and heartfelt stories of the courageous children who live and battle with the number one birth defect-heart disease. Camp del Corazon has been receiving much attention from the media about this episode and it's storyline. Tom Aronld will be doing a media blitz on many radio shows and segments will air on Extra. Camp del Corazon has also been covered on the TV Guide Channel's "Hollywood 411" and in the articles below.
In 2002, just after Jay proposed, I volunteered for both junior and teen camp sessions. Being on staff for those two weeks was much more difficult than the entire two plus months I spent on staff at the Christian family camp Campus by the Sea. What many don't realize is that being on the Camp del Corazon staff is a 24/7 job! These kids require around the clock supervision; any time a child needs to use the bathroom or shower an adult needs to be with them (we don't literally go in the bathroom or shower with them). This is not only to comfort parent's anxieties, but for the safety of each child. The health status of each child varies. There are some who come to camp on oxygen or with feeding tubes or who require extra medical attention, while other children are healthier. All children and staff have to report to nursing quarters for medication distribution. The nurse station is housed with any necessary medical equipment and sick bay quarters as well as physicians and nurses.
To me Camp del Corazon was a place of healing, both for the children and staff! It offered those of us "older" heart patients the opportunity to encourage and uplift those younger heart patients. It also provided healing by bridging the gap between patients and physicians. Some children spend more time with their physicians than with family or friends. At camp every staff member is given a nick name; thus how my nickname "ET" was started. You got "busted" if you were called by anything other then your camp name. So while at camp I spoke to my doctor, Dr. Kevin Shannon as "Big Kahuna". The kids think it's great and, well, I do too! Each camp day is structured around a theme. We're there just to love on the kids and have a whole lotta fun! During the night hours at team camp, our cabin spent time getting "deep." Girls opened up about the struggles with living with heart disease. Topics ranged from embarrassment of scars, to fears, to death and loss. Camp proved to be a "safe place" for children to open up because, just about everyone there really could relate. It also gave them supervised freedom. Many of these children have never been away from home other then to the hospital. Never had the chance to go to public places like school or on overnight stays. Camp also provided hope because of the variety of patients (young and older) present at camp. I met so MANY kids and staff who were patients up at UCLA who had the same doctors or surgeons or who have even had heart transplants. I must say that my best camp memories were those quiet times of deep discussion with the teen group. I also got a kick of seeing my doctor, Dr. Kevin Shannon dressed as a king in BLUE TIGHTS and having my surgeon, Dr. Hillel Laks, fly over in a UCLA helicopter to each lunch and spend the day swimming with the kids. You can click on the pictures for a larger view.
Dr. Kevin Shannon aka Big Kahuna and Lisa Knight, R.N. aka Xena.
Dr. Hillel Laks
Some may not know this, but awhile after camp I needed to be "shocked" out of a heart rhythm. It was a quick and painless procedure, but one that was quite scary. What provided comfort while walking into the procedure room was seeing the Camp del Corazon mug on the bedside table. Just a few minutes later Lisa Knight entered the room. She was to assist my doctor in the procedure. Can you imagine how relieved I was? Now imagine that as a kid!I know with the current state of our economy, many non profit organizations are in jeopardy of losing funding. Therefore, I feel obligated now more the ever, to support those organizations which I believe in. As a former camp staffer and a congenital heart patient, I feel that Camp del Corazon offers so much to families faced with childhood heart disease. I hope that this post and the upcoming ER debut will portray to you the cause and what makes Camp del Corazon so special and near and dear to my heart. Therefore, I've decided to start a fundraising page for Camp del Corazon. Please visit my page at
http://www.firstgiving.com/et4hearts
Thank you!
1 comment:
Oh Erica~~
What a wonderful post. I got much more of an understanding of Camp de Corazon. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your heart. :)
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