Essential Information On The Muscular Dystrophy Association And Summer Camp

The words summer camp provide instantaneous mental pictures of wooden docks on rich green lakes enclosed by woods, cabins filled with bunk-beds, dining halls with screens in place of windows and s ‘mores over a campfire. Summer camp is a rite of passage for a few, a privilege for many people and an out of reach desire for others. Most people have heard about the MDA, you can see the Jerry Lewis telethons and the big electronic donation tally, but did you know that through the donations generated by the MDA 1000s of MDA kids annually get to benefit from camp at no cost to their families?

MDA is an abbreviation for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. MDA is a non-profit agency devoted to supporting fund research into muscular dystrophy, ALS and nearly 50 various other neuromuscular diseases. MDA scientists are at the leading edge of gene therapy research as well as helping provide medical services, equipment and support groups. This is in addition to helping provide the funding for MDA summer camps.

Every summer a large number of kids attend many of the 80 camps around the world, all for the low, low cost of 0 dollars, thanks to the fund raising efforts of MDA. The magic of MDA camps is usually that for 1 week a year, children enduring diverse types of neuromuscular diseases are just kids. Camps are designed around activities for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. Lifelong friendships are established around shared experiences and worries.

Some of the many fun activities might include: swimming, boating & canoeing, horseback riding, karaoke, archery, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and campfires. For one week, kids get to hang out in a world that has been created just for them. Not only that, this might very well be the one week a year their parents get a respite from the continual worry that their child is being properly taken care of. Having their child in the care of an MDA summer camp specifically made to match the medical and physical challenges of their disease gives a kind of peace of mind that is priceless in and of itself.

The MDA has provided not only the financial resources to support these camps, but they have been able to reach out to create a network of people ready to volunteer their time to make this encounter a reality. By supporting the MDA, you help them make a difference in the future of the disease, but you also help make a tangible real time difference in the lives of the children and families who are living with these challenges on a daily basis.