emotional changes & Camp Barnabas

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

I have a question for you all. My son, Nick, 9years old who struggled with symptoms and problems since last fall was diagnosed with liver disease in 1/09. Since this time he has changed. He was not a strong student at the beginning of the year, but since the illness and missing school he has lost confidence in his ability. His teacher is great, and just conferenced again with us about these issues. He is moody, overly emotional, tears up but does not cry often, and is doing poorly in school. He has a best friend who is a great little buddy. They hang out a lot. But he is obviously having a bit of emotional changes.

Anyway, his teacher mentioned Camp Barnabas here in MO. Summer camp with different weeks geared towards kids with different issues. They make summer camp available to kids who would not be able to go to other summers camps without special modifications being made. They are on line and have a week for kids with chronic illness in July. They also have a siblings program that our older son who is 14 could go to. Siblings have some interaction, but not all the time. Scholarship possibilities also available.

The problem is when I spoke to my husband about the camp he thought I was jumping the gun. He thought maybe Nick would go and see all the other sick kids and suddenly label himself as "sick" or think he is as bad off as some of the others might be. I was thinking this would show Nick that there are a lot of kids out with health issues just like him, and show him how they can, and want to get out, and try hard, and have fun to. I thought it would be fun for him to get out and do some things that he might otherwise be able to do this summer b/c of his enlarged spleen and such.

I haven't even mentioned it to the kids, and my husband hasn't had a chance to look at the web site yet, but I was wanting to get some other opinions about this. Anyone have thoughts or experiences with this issue or Camp Barnabas?

Thanks so much,

in MO.

son, Nick (9) liver disease 09