Page 12 - HFA Dateline 2013 Q4 Winter

inhibitor Family Camp: our own Kind of oz By Derek nelson rateful to be nearing the end of a Glong day of travel, my family finally reached the welcoming gates of Victory Junction—the site of inhibitor family camp in Randleman, North Carolina The shuttle driver maintained his happy grin as the vehicle slowly rolled over speed bumps, passing a small, serene lake In the distance, a brightly colored tower in the shape of a hot air balloon seemed to stand guardian over the wooded grounds It reminded me of the hot air balloon from the opening of the Wizard of oz What adventures would we have over the next few days? Life is an adventure for those of us who live with inhibitors Because of extremely unpredictable bleeding patterns for chil- dren with inhibitors, local hemophilia camps are often not an option But at in- hibitor family camp, which we attended on october 17th-20th, the world opened up to us With attentive counselors and medical staff, a safe environment was provided for these amazing children and their families to experience life Whether riding horses, bowling, making art proj- ects, shooting bows and arrows, acting, or catching (and kissing!) fish, families were able to experience a whole lot of fun While the children were having fun, par- ents were able to connect, learn new life skills, and share life stories There were two formal education programs: “How In- hibitor family camp, everyone seems instantly connected It didn’t take long before we hibitors Affect the family Unit,” present- were all acting like life-long friends, sharing laughs and tears that maybe only those ed by dr Gary McClain, and a 504/IeP affected understand workshop run by Janet Brewer, Med We were lucky to also have three parent rap The holiday season is always a great time to reflect on what we are most grateful for sessions where everyone could discuss a for me, being connected to other families with inhibitors is a tremendous blessing, long list of other issues in which we have and I am so appreciative to Comprehensive Health education Services (CHeS)—the shared concerns few are the moments driving force behind camp, to Victory Junction for providing the facility and won- where I feel that others truly understand derful staff, and to Novo Nordisk for the educational grant that funds this amazing what life is like with an inhibitor At in- experience 12 Dateline Federation | Winter 2013