Kate Rayner

Kids With Diabetes Enjoy Special Summer Camp in Meriden

At Mountain Mist in Meriden, these kids are hard at play. They have one thing in common—diabetes.

“A day camp for kids who have diabetes and their families to send their kids to safe environment, so kids can be kids and their diabetes are still taken care of,” said Dr. Cem Demirci, endocrinologist at Connecticut Children’s.

“What we do here is when they come in your blood sugar is checked they are monitored through the day.”

The week at camp was made possible through a unique partnership between the medical center, YMCA and the Lions Club.

“Lions Club came to us and said 'can we do this?' He said of course we can do this we just have to figure out how,” camp director Carolyn Daniels said.

“My favorite activity is probably when we go swimming,” said 11-year-old Hayden McGee from Oakville.

Two of the camp counselors have diabetes themselves.

“Best part about camp at the activities and how well the staff communicates," said Elias Claudio from New Britain. “I appreciate that people do stuff like this, and they actually do care. There are people out there in the world that make fun of diabetes.”

“Honestly it’s been an absolutely amazing experience I think for us as well as the children,” said Jacob Conte, a counselor at the camp.

The Lions Club fully funded the program. In the future, they hope to expand it across the state.

“This is something that has definitely going to continue going to continue and grow,” said Alan Daninhirsch of the Lions Club.

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