HDYC 2007 pics soon... I'm slow, sorry!
Click here for HDYC 2004 pics.
The Harrisburg Diabetic Youth Camp, or HDYC, takes place every year during the third week of June at Camp Victory in Millville, PA. Each summer Camp Victory hosts many other week long camps for kids with special needs. HDYC was started in 1977 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007.
I have been a counselor at camp since 2000. Amanda introduced me
to HDYC and has been counseling there since 1999. Being a counselor
is a very tiring but extremely rewarding experience. This past year I
was a head counselor in Pine cabin and Amanda was head counselor in Tupelo cabin.
Campers have a lot of fun at HDYC. There are many activities to do like soccer,
hockey, fishing, basketball, archery, arts & crafts, swimming,
creek stomping, and much more. The campers also have education sessions where
they learn about proper nutrition, how to manage diabetes, how to count the
carbohydrate content in foods, etc.
Before each meal and before evening snack, the campers check their blood glucose
levels. Then depending on what that level is, how much they will eat for the
next meal, and what activities they plan to do during the day, they will take
a certain amount of insulin. Counselors write down their sugar levels and the
doctors prescribe an amount of insulin to take.
Here are some pictures from HYDC 2002:
Campers from my cabin listen to dieticians Cindy and Ilde talk about how to read the nutrition facts on food labels.
Campers work together on the ropes course.
Jordan and me.
Ilde, a dietician, calculates how many grams of carbohydrate this camper
just ate. Then the doctor or nurse will calculate how much insulin the
camper should get based on how many grams he ate. The camper will then
administer the insulin using his convenient and painless insulin pump.
A camper draws up insulin to cover the meal he is about to eat.
Counselors Dave, Padraic, Eamon, and me.
Campers from Cabin 4 go creek stomping which is led by Jackie (yellow
jacket) and Dr. Jamey (black shirt).
Amanda and her campers eat lunch together.
Don, Padraic, and Eamon just hanging out...
Note: This website is not affiliated with HDYC, Camp Victory, or Setebaid Services.