Camp No-Worries
Keeping Your Food-Allergic Camper Happy
by Robin Rokisky

Ghost stories told around the campfire. Melted, gooey s’mores. Swimming, hiking and flashlight tag.
Summer camp can produce some of your child’s fondest memories.

It also can be a harrowing experience for you, especially if your youngster is one of the 3 million American kids with food allergies.

A food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the immune system. Food allergies are more common in children — the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network estimates that one in 25 kids under the age of 18 have a food allergy; the incidence rises to one in 17 of children under age 3.

The most common culprits are peanuts, milk, eggs and soy. If your child is among the many who suffer from symptoms that can range from moderate to severe, you may be apprehensive at the thought of allowing him or her to attend a summer camp. However, with the right precautions, you can ensure your child gets to participate in this unique experience.

First, rest assured that area camp officials are both aware and well educated on the subject of youth food allergies.

“The first thing we ensure at Oglebay Institute camps is that our staff is well trained in first aid to deal with possible food allergy issues,” said Misty Klug, director of marketing and communication at Oglebay Institute in Wheeling. “The goal of our camps is to provide a healthy and safe environment for learning and enjoyment. Addressing dietary and health concerns is a major part of what we do.”

Next, realize that managing food allergies is a collective effort: Responsibility falls on the family, the camp and the camper. All three must work together to cover the bases effectively. Honest and direct communication is key, and often the first step in choosing a camp for your child is a meeting with the camp’s director.

“Our policy for residential camps is to meet individually with parents and determine a protocol based on the camper’s needs and the severity of the allergies,” said Klug. “During the day camps, the camp counselors review health records and keep in close contact with parents to address any health or dietary concerns.”

A medical release form is mandatory, serving to formally authorize the camp officials and the camp nurse to give medications and proceed with necessary emergency care in an orderly way. Many camps have devised their own forms, but an excellent form is also available online, on the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Web site, www.foodallergy.org

“We have a medical release form that all parents/guardians fill out ahead of time and send in with the application,” said Libby Strong, program coordinator for the West Liberty State College SMART-Center’s science camps. The forms also serve to shape the food plans for the camps, helping to determine what foods should be eliminated from the menu altogether. “We have actually changed menu choices to avoid even the fumes from, let’s say, peanuts,” Strong said.

“Cross-contamination is a very big issue for food-allergic individuals,” said Susan Adams, mother of Amelia, 8, who is highly allergic to all dairy products and peanuts. “Amelia has attended day camps, but I have always provided her food. I would consider allowing her to attend a longer camp, but I would thoroughly investigate it first.”

While managing food allergies safely is the foremost concern of summer camp directors and parents, don’t forget that making sure kids are having fun and enjoying their adventures at camp is also important.

Maintaining an appropriate sense of confidentiality and respect for individual privacy helps the child to fit in with the group and not feel as if he or she is different or sickly in any way.

The sharing of information means suspending some guarded privacy; however, it can be dealt with in a reasonable and supportive way. Camps do not need to post allergic campers’ specifics in full view of others but can be sure to put the information in a discreet but accessible, useful place.

Vickie Markey-Tekely, curator of education for Oglebay’s Good Zoo in Wheeling, said: “The zoo educators are required to carry with them at all times a listing of their campers. The list contains information that the parents provide on allergies or other medical issues, along with emergency contact information.”

Any child with food allergies requires special planning, separate foods, emergency plans and large amounts of acceptance, inclusion and camaraderie, along with the special fun that only a camp experience can bring.
“In the 12 years we have been doing these camps, these precautions have served us well,” said Strong.

Parents, do your homework, then pack up your happy camper!

‹ Robin Rokisky is a freelance writer who lives in Weirton with her three children.