Our American Diabetes Association Week at Camp Sealth each summer ensures that all kids regardless of their medical needs enjoy a carefree, incredible week at camp!
Nick Deubler checks his blood sugar several times a day to see if his body needs a higher or lower dose of insulin. Once a night, his mom or dad checks to make sure his blood sugar hasn’t dipped dangerously low.
It’s a reality the Deublers have learned to live with in the years since Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. They didn’t feel comfortable sending Nick to overnight camp until they learned about a special week we offer each summer, through a partnership with the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
“The medical professionals do an amazing job — sneaking into cabins with their headlamps to check on kids,” says Nick’s mom, Heather Deubler.
During the sixth week of summer at Camp Sealth (August 6-11 this year), kids with diabetes get their blood sugar checked before every meal with help from specially trained staff. Meals are nutritionally tailored to help kids keep their blood sugar levels as steady as possible.
It’s nice, for a change, not being the only kid who has to carry juice on a hike in case he needs a sudden jolt of sugar, Nick says. And it’s also fun learning things from other kids with diabetes, like how to more accurately program his insulin pump.
“Having peers teach you stuff like this, you remember and value it even more,” says Nick’s dad, Jay Deubler.
Nick is looking forward to another week at Camp Sealth this summer: swimming, giant games of capture the flag, and a night of sleeping under the stars — all worry-free, for Nick, for his parents, for everyone at Camp Sealth.
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