Diabetes at Camp Bearskin

Q: What do you get when you bring 41 families to a diabetes camp for a whole week, have them sleep under the stars, sing diabetes songs, laugh, cry and comfort each other? ... A: 41 families changed forever. Read their triumphs, struggles and lessons below.

Featured

My Story
Meet Janet Kramschuster -- a veteran and advocate of diabetes camp. Hear her own story about her tumultuous time of being diagnosed with diabetes, and how everything eventually fell into place.
The Arrival
Forty-one families trickle into Bearskin Meadow Camp. While some are veterans, the "newbies" are a little more reserved. Soon, they'll be plummeted into a world where diabetes is the norm.
An Emotional Circle
Diabetes is tough on the child, but it can be tougher on the parents. Read as parent after parent tells their struggles with the disease -- and the guidance they get from those who have been there.

Camp Firsts
It's important to celebrate "firsts" -- the first insulin shot, the first finger-prick -- and this camp does it in style. Learn ways to encourage diabetes independence here.
A diabetic Cinderella and a little indulgence
"What's the big deal with a milkshake? Normally, nothing..." Why it's important to let families dealing with diabetes get out of their diabetes regimen once in a while.
What About the Siblings?
"It is amazing what can happen during rap sessions when you hand a child with or without diabetes some colored pencils and ask them to draw their feelings..." Janet deals with a sibling who displays a grim picture of diabetes.
One Last Hurrah
After the families leave, there's nothing but reflection and memories. The families compile one last list of firsts and leave the mountains differently than when they arrived.
The Epilogue
"Every diabetes camp is filled with emotion, struggle, ups, downs, learning, changing and growing..." Janet sums up her experience with camp, comparing it to life struggles and diabetes. Her one lesson? You may feel alone with diabetes, but you never really are.