(Corpus Christi, Texas) Asthma affects an estimated 15 million Americans, one-third of whom are children. Although there is no cure for the disease, living a healthy, active life with asthma is in fact possible. The 5th Annual Camp Easy Breathers, a one week summer day camp for children with moderate to severe asthma, is designed to provide physical and social experiences that are fun while increasing a child’s understanding of his or her asthma. Open to any children ages 7 to 12, camp will take place Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9, 2006 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi.

With a newly developed educational curriculum, campers will learn to manage their asthma so that they can fully enjoy all camp activities. These tools are also designed to give children a better understanding of the asthma that will benefit them even after camp is over. One such educational game is the “Bronchial Relay Race” where campers take a cardboard tube, fill it with cotton (representing mucus filling their airways) and wrap it with rubber bands (representing their airways being constricted) helping them to better understand what happens to their airways during an asthma attack.

This year’s theme is surfing and campers will learn to surf from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi surfing instructors at Mustang Island State Beach. There will also be special guests demonstrating wind and kite surfing. Additional activities include swimming, arts and crafts, and sports. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

Pediatric pulmonologists, respiratory therapist, nurses, and health professionals from our community comprise Camp Easy Breathers staff. Del Mar College and Flour Bluff health students attend an asthma workshop and training and also assist as counselors.

Cost & Orientation
Cost is $100 per camper and scholarships are available. All campers must pay $25 with registration form to guarantee their place. Deadline for registration is Thursday, June 1, 2006.
There will be a required orientation for parents and campers.

About Asthma . . .
Asthma is a chronic disorder in which the airways in the lungs become swollen, clogged, and overly sensitive to changes in the environment. During an attack, the muscles that surround the airways tighten, and the inner lining of the airways swells and pushes inward. Asthma kills about 5,000 Americans each year and costs the United States over $10 billion dollars a year in direct and indirect medical expenses. Timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, developing and managing a partnership with a health care professional, as well as reducing exposure to environmental factors assist in living with asthma.

Camp Easy Breathers is sponsored by Coastal Bend Asthma Initiative and Driscoll Children’s Hospital as well supported by the staffs and volunteers of Del Mar College, Flour Bluff Health Science Technology Center, Swim America, and Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.

About Driscoll Children’s Hospital
“Improve the health of adults and you give them back their health …
Improve the health of children and you give them their life.”

Since opening its doors in 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been offering hope and healing to the children of South Texas for half a century. The facility is a 189-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties. Each year, more than 6,000 children are admitted for inpatient care, 5,000 for day surgery, and 50,000 for outpatient primary and specialty care, as well as 40,000 for emergency care, as the first South Texas hospital with emergency services exclusively for children. Additionally, Driscoll maintains a state-of-the-art ground/air transport team, 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit, 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and specialized medical outreach.

www.driscollchildrens.org

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