From the desk of Ric Forlano
CEO, Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA August 2014
Dear Friend,
Imagine pushing a child in a wheelchair over a cliff! Every parent wants the best for their child. But when a child is burdened with
the pain of juvenile arthritis what do you do? Do you wrap them up in cotton wool or let them abseil down a cliff face in their wheel chair. Are we joking?
Sounds outrageous, doesn’t it? But believe it or not that’s what children with
juvenile arthritis can achieve at Camp Freedom. It’s also a chance for parents to let their young ones go, spread their wings, push their boundaries and discover the awesome power they have within them.
Unfortunately one of the grants we rely on to fund Camp Freedom has fallen through. This means Camp Freedom is under threat. Please consider as you read on – of making a donation to ensure this life changing experience can continue on.
Most people think of arthritis as an old person’s disease so you can imagine
Tim’s parents shock when he was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when he was just five years old.
WYLLIE ARTHRITIS CENTRE 17 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park WA 6008 | PO Box 34, Wembley WA 6913 Tel: (08) 9388 2199 Fax: (08) 9388 4488 Email: general@arthritiswa.org.au www.arthritiswa.org.au ABN 43 390 598 024
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There are numerous types of arthritis that can affect children. These include
juvenile arthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, still’s
disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It’s tough enough for anyone to have to live with arthritis, but for kids, well it’s just not fair.
For some the crippling pain and inflammation can keep them away from
school and prevent them from trying activities that they’d really love to do.
Tim considers himself pretty lucky. He was a very active little boy. He loved
riding his skateboard and playing sport but when his arthritis came in long painful waves he’d just have to sit on the side lines, and no child likes doing that.
One of the things Tim says he really enjoyed doing as a child was attending
Camp Freedom, the Arthritis Foundation’s camp for children with arthritis.
Tim was one of the first Camp Freedom kids in 1990 when he was
just seven years old and still counts it as giving him the most life affirming experiences in his young development. “There were lots of activities to push your boundaries; things that kids with arthritis wouldn’t normally think they could, or should, do. For me it was great seeing all these kids, even with their severe arthritis, trying things like abseiling and rock climbing. These extreme, boundary pushing activities showed the kids that they really can do anything and they shouldn’t let their condition hold them back. I remember at one of the camps, one of the girls went abseiling down a cliff face in a wheelchair. I was amazed, thinking, Wow! She’s in a wheelchair and she can still go down a cliff. What can I do?’” The camps are a great opportunity to have fun and make friends with other
kids with arthritis but as Tim explains there’s the educational side which is just as
important. “These sessions let them know about their own type of arthritis and ways Please continue over the page...
to manage it. It gets them thinking about taking control of their condition, instead of relying on their parents all the time.” Tim loved his first Camp Freedom and kept going until he was seventeen.
Today he’s back as one of our volunteer camp leaders and says he looks forward to it as much today as when he was a child.
Some of the friends he made then are still his friends today working with
him as volunteers. One of his most rewarding experiences working with Camp Freedom today
is seeing real positive changes in the children. “These camps are put on for the
kids. They’re really, really, cool camps and there are a lot of benefits. The kids getting together with other kids with arthritis helps them realise there are other kids out there like them and they feel really supported. The parents say it does change the kids. Some kids, who haven’t been going to school because of their pain, start going to school again after camps. They suddenly realise there’s so much more they can do.” “I think what’s great about Camp Freedom right now is that most of the leaders, most of the people that volunteer to run the camp have gone through the camp themselves as kids. I think there are about seven or eight of us now who attended as kids and have grown up together. We’ve literally become lifelong friends.” “It’s a very valuable thing that Arthritis Foundation does for the kids and it makes a big difference.” We’re very fortunate to have wonderful young people like Tim and his friends
willing to give up their time to help other young people have the chance they had as children.
Qualified arthritis nurse Debbie has been helping at Camp Freedom for twenty
years, and has seen children like Tim grow into extraordinary adults. As well as
helping with Camp Freedom, Tim helps run an afterschool and vacation care centre,
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between operating his own successful skate park design enterprise. His ‘can do’ attitude goes back a long way… to Camp Freedom.
And now to the purpose of my writing... if it was not for the generosity of
people like you who support the Foundation, along with significant financial grants,
Tim and hundreds of other kids with arthritis would never have had the life changing chance to discover their potential at Camp Freedom.
As Tim explains, “Some families can’t afford to send their kids to these
things so Arthritis Foundation subsidises Camp Freedom. But that money has to come from somewhere.” Unfortunately some of the grants we’ve relied on in the past have fallen through this year.
This means Camp Freedom is under threat. It would be a tragedy if we
weren’t able to run these camps which make such a difference to the lives and real potential of children with arthritis.
Anything that you can do to help us raise the funds to keep it going would really make a difference. You donation of $25, $50 or even $100 would ensure we can continue to help inspire youngsters to reach their full potential. Please help us give these kids the chance to change their lives. With thanks
Ric Forlano
Executive Director
P.S.
On behalf of all the young ones that look forward eagerly to Camp Freedom each year, thank you in advance for your support.
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Camp Freedom provides children with Juvenile Arthritis an opportunity to meet others like themselves and to participate in activities without the stigma of being different. The camp is for children aged between 7–17 years of age and offers friendship, fun activities, self-management and educational workshops.
Camp Freedom promotes personal growth and children are encouraged to try new experiences in order to gain self-confidence. Campers participate in numerous outdoor activities throughout the week such as rock climbing, canoeing, archery and fishing. The kids have a really great time and last year we had a total of 50 campers – which makes it our biggest camp ever!” said Camp Coordinator Kerry Mace.
Campers are supervised by medical staff and volunteers from Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA (many of them were previous campers themselves) which provides a unique opportunity for them to mix with others who understand exactly what they are going through. While we have been grateful to receive funding from Lotterywest for transport, accommodation costs, food and fun to run past camps, with so many causes needing their support, we unfortunately can no longer solely rely on this.
$25 $50 $100 $200
can help buy supplies for group games
can cover the cost for food for a young person for a day at Camp Freedom
can cover the cost of abseiling equipment and instruction for a group of five can cover the cost of a day for a child at Camp Freedom
$500 can cover the cost of hiring a bus for a half day to take Camp Freedom kids on an exhilarating excursion.
We need your help to ensure Camp Freedom can continue to be a haven and eye opening experience of fun and friendship for young people that deserve it most.
Your donation of $25, $50 or even $100 would go a long way to ensuring the ‘Camp Freedom’ kids can continue to be empowered by what is possible. Thank you in advance for your support.
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Donation Coupon
17 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park WA 6008 PO Box 34, Wembley WA 6913 Telephone: (08) 9388 2199 Fax: (08) 9388 4488 www.arthritiswa.org.au ABN 43 390 598 024
Dear Friend,
As you’ve read, the Camp Freedom project is particularly close to my heart. I’m sure it will have touched yours too. The survival of Camp Freedom means young people who’ve been dealt a particularly tough and painful hand will continue to experience new found freedom and independence with likeminded friends and support. We really can’t do it without you. Please, make a donation today. Warmest Regards,
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receipt Your gift is tax deshduorcttlyible. T-haa nk you. will be sent to you To donate by phone, please call (08) 9388 2199 & have your credit card handy. You can also donate by fax on (08) 9388 4488 or online at www.arthritiswa.org.au
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