Asthma camp lets local kids be active & breathe easy

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) This afternoon, 27 campers celebrated the end of an activity-filled week at the SVMH Asthma Day Camp. The end of camp festivities included a multitude of outdoor games including wiffleball, followed by a graduation ceremony where each camper had the opportunity to cross the stage and receive a certificate . The ceremony closed with the kids performing the camp song and reciting their Asthma Pledge for their families.

Over the past week, the campers have engaged in several outdoor activities as well as being educated about their asthma and, most of all, having fun.

"Honestly, the main focus of this camp is fun," said Camp Coordinator Charles Parsons. "Fun, obviously, because it's a summer camp. But I think the main thing we want to do is make sure they leave here with some skills on how to handle their asthma appropriately."

In addition to making sure the kids have a positive experience, Parsons also said that there is substantial focus on teaching them how to take responsibility for their condition. "We want them to know that they have to take responsibility for their asthma, that no one else is really responsible for their asthma but themselves," he explained. "And they have to count on themselves. They have to know their own bodies and they have to know when they need to do what they need to do."

Asthma Day Camp takes campers between the ages of six and twelve. Many of them have been coming to camp for multiple years. Kai, a twelve-year-old camper, just finished his seventh summer at the camp. He said that before he started coming to Asthma Camp, he wasn't as active because he didn't want to aggravate his asthma. But through attending camp, Kai learned that he can still be active and participate in all of the same activities that kids who don't have asthma do. "

Another camper, 10-year-old Aylen, said that she can't wait to come back next summer. "You should visit camp if you have asthma because it's pretty fun! You could do a lot of things instead of just being bored in your house," she added with a giggle.

The camp is funded by multiple donors, including the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. Parsons said that these donors are quintessential to the campers' experience as they ensure that the cost of camp is fully covered. "We have kids who can't afford this," said Parsons. "And without [the donors], we probably couldn't bring those kids in. But now, every kid gets a chance to go to camp regardless of whether they can afford it or not."

The camp staff is comprised entirely of volunteers - many of them healthcare workers. One of the counselors, Madison Cavalli, is a nursing student. She said that her week with the campers has been extremely rewarding, and she hopes to return next year.

After being closed last summer due to COVID-19, the camp decided to cap enrollment at 30 campers this year - it usually has closer to 50. Camp leaders were excited to reopen the program this summer even if not at full capacity, and they hope to welcome an even bigger group of kids next summer.