Pictured: MD student volunteers and the campers, kids with neuromuscular diseases
The camp, run for 20 years by a Hawaiʻi nonprofit, had to be suspended, until the medical students, Neuroscience Education Assistant Professor of Medicine Dr. J. Douglas Miles, and generous donors stepped in.
Written By: Brittni Kam, MS3 & Heather Miura, MS2, John A. Burns School of Medicine Students
Earlier this year, we heard the unfortunate news that a local support organization would no longer be able to fund a camp in Hawaiʻi for kids with neuromuscular diseases, as they had been generously doing for the last 20 years.
“Our University of Hawaiʻi (UH) John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) ʻOhana and friends were not going to let camp go unfunded,” said Brittni Kam, third-year medical student. Back in June, the MD students started their effort modestly, raising $600 at a campus bake sale. As they kept beating the fundraising drum, before long, with volunteers and donors in the community, they knew they had sufficient funds to stage a camp.
“We want to thank everyone for their generosity in supporting a camp that means so much to us, the campers, and their families,” said Kam.
In July, “Muscle Camp” was held at Camp Erdman, lasting for five days with five campers and two medical student volunteers, second-year students Heather Miura and Jacob Castro. Care was supervised by Dr. Douglas Miles, a neurologist and JABSOM Course Director.
“The only complaint we received … was that Muscle Camp was too short!”
The Camp attracts campers from Oʻahu and the neighbor islands who have neuromuscular conditions ranging from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to Leigh syndrome. In Mokulēʻia, the activitiesfor them included rocket launching, skits, arts and crafts, archery, roasting marshmallows, karaoke and lots of pool time.
These five short days on Oʻahu’s North Shore are cited as campers’ favorite time of the year, and provide their parents, who are often full-time caretakers, a much deserved break. The only complaint we received from them was that Muscle Camp was too short! It was truly a humbling and awe-inspiring experience as camp counselors to witness the resilience, camaraderie and love shared between campers.
Story authors MD Students Heather Miura and Brittni Kam
We want to thank everyone for their support and please be on the lookout for upcoming fundraisers for Hawaiʻi Muscle Camp 2019!