Diabetes camp, the kids and their parents were sweet

This is one of the kids
from Camp Sweet LIfe

Four kids sat on the concrete floor, ages 6-8, paging through booklets with pictures of food. A slice of bread here. A cup of juice there. The kids, all of whom were living with Type 1 diabetes, were being taught to count carbs for the food they were about to eat, then enter that carb info on their insulin pumps they all had clipped to their hip. Make a mistake here and the consequences could be fatal. Literally.

 This was camp, and while it sounds dire and severe, that's because it is. Such is the life of a child with Type 1. But at this camp, dubbed "Camp Sweet Life" by the creators, these kids were all smiles. Yep. Even though they were sitting here looking at pictures bread slices, they were happy. They were the happiest campers I'd ever seen.

As the parent of "normal" kids, this was kind of a wake up call for me. The problems my kids deal with are nothing compared to what these kids go through. But you wouldn't know that at Camp  Sweet Life. Here, they all fit in. No one has to explain to anyone why they're wearing a pager (the pumps look a lot like pagers.) No has to explain Type 1 Diabetes, no one is odd or unusual or weird. Everyone understands. And for the two days they are here, they are normal. 

I spent some time at the camp watching kids, watching counselors, watching staff. But it wasn't until I tracked down a parent that I started to really understand.

Rachel Short had stopped by quick to drop off some antibiotics for her son, Jorden. On top of everything else, the young man was dealing with strep throat, too. 

Rachel was moved to tears when she talked about her son and what his life has been like. As talked, it occurred to us both that, while Jorden's life was definitely transformed by diabetes, there's a silver lining of sorts. Because of how vigilant he has to be about his diet, he's developed a sense of responsibility that few kids have, and one that will serve him well for the rest of his life.

And as any parent knows, finding a place for your child to belong, to be accepted, can be a trying experience. A wise woman once told me, "Having children is like watching a piece of your heart walk around in the world." I never forgot this, and I really believe it. And I can't imagine watching my children having to struggle in a way that few others kids need to endure. Having a place like this to send Jorden, it seemed, was just as important for mom as it was for son.

Camp Sweet Life is an amazing place full of amazing kids. Keep the place in your thoughts. And if they ask for money, throw a few bucks their way. They camp deserves it, the kids deserve it.