Since August 1995, and for 29 consecutive years, the YMCA Thessaloniki has been running a camp program for children with diabetes in Halkidiki.

History

YOUTH DIABETES – CHANGING MY LIFE

“It will be a nightmare of ten days. Within 10 days, most will have fallen ill,” said a pediatrician, while another father, awkwardly but honestly, added, “The last thing I want is for my child to spend their vacation with a bunch of unknown kids desperately seeking their parents.”

Such comments were common in the spring of 1995 when the restless spirit of Dr. Giannis Sidiropoulos, a board member of YMCA Thessaloniki and head of the Camping Committee, met the professionalism, sensitivity, enthusiasm, and love for her work of Dr. Maria Papadopoulou.

The initial idea was to gather children and teenagers with diabetes for 10 days at one of YMCA Thessaloniki ‘s camps, where, in a beautiful and pleasant environment, they could learn a little more about diabetes and get to know themselves and their capabilities better. This first idea was met with indifference, if not coldness, by those it was presented to. Despite the initial discouraging response, the decision was made to proceed with the camp at YMCA Thessaloniki’s facilities in Agios Nikolaos, Halkidiki.

And one August morning in the summer of 1995, the adventure began. The first days were tough. Parents desperately sought to contact anyone who could assure them that their children were healthy and doing well.

It was only a matter of time. The magic of the camp soon took effect on the campers. The camp’s greatest asset and defining characteristic is the sense of community. Each camper, as a member of the camp’s small society, is part of a team. The camp’s activities are secondary to the sense of unity each team member experiences. It doesn’t matter if the team competes successfully against another team in a basketball game, if the members clean their cabin together, if they prepare for an overnight trip, or if they help each other through a tough part of the forest; what matters is the sense of teamwork, the bond of friendship, and the shared commitment to a common goal that makes them a cohesive group.

When campers participate in a common activity and share similar feelings for each other and their shared goal, they will eventually form an informal yet tight-knit team.

Each team of this kind includes three main characteristics:

1. Team Interaction
2. Activity
3. Emotion

Experiencing the team dynamic, both the children and their leaders found their way. The team helped children with diabetes reconcile with themselves and their condition, feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and fears. It helped them feel at ease with disclosing their diabetes and explaining what it means for their lives. The team provided them with the opportunity to understand that they are accepted, not different, and that they can succeed just as well as others. The team transformed those who initially cried and wanted to leave because they missed their parents into those who cried on the last day because they didn’t want the camp to end.

The team helped other campers feel comfortable with them and not fear catching any contagious diseases, as some feared. The team strengthened the sense of responsibility among leaders for managing diverse yet similar children with consistency and accountability. The effect of the shared camping experience positively impacted the lives of everyone involved, both children and adults. After all, this was the goal.

The campers from the first year have grown up. Some continue today as camp leaders and staff.

With the support of…