Dr. De Loach and the Clinica de Diabetes de Puebla organize a camp for young people with diabetes, which will be held this year from May 6 to 8. Campamento Diabetes Safari is for children and adolescents, from 6 to 16, who use insulin injections to manage type 1 diabetes mellitus. Beginning in 1925, camps for young people with diabetes have a long tradition all around the world, with 150 in the United States and Canada alone. Campamento Diabetes Safari, with generous support from Abbott Laboratories, is the first bilingual (English-Spanish) and multi-national (Mexico, United States, Belize, El Salvador) camp in Mexico. Before attending camp, many campers have never met another young person with diabetes. Diabetes Safari offers education, recreation and support, and also gives campers a chance to have fun and increase their independence and self-confidence in a safe, supervised setting. Through personalized, individualized attention, they express themselves and learn to interact cooperatively with others. With the support of adult health care professionals, who have over 80 years of combined experience in diabetes management, and of other young people with diabetes, campers realize that they are not alone in managing the daily challenges.

Together, they learn to enjoy an active lifestyle while taking good care of themselves. The glucose monitoring strategies learned allow them to maintain optimal blood sugar levels, so they can enjoy a good quality of life and postpone or avoid the long-term complications of poorly controlled diabetes.

Dr. De Loach explains that another function of the not-for-profit camp is to provide a fun break for the young persons and a short break from stressful responsibilities for the parents. At the resort in Oaxtepec, Morelos, where the camp is held, the campers are under the care of a multidisciplinary team of professionals, most of whom also have type 1 diabetes. The team includes diabetes educators, a physician, a dietitian, a clinical psychologist, a nurse, monitors, and two knowledgeable cooks, one from the United States and the other from Mexico. The ratio of staff to campers is one to three, with staff committed to keeping campers healthy round the clock.

"Here, campers learn about managing diabetes from adults who not only are experts in the field, but who also have first-hand knowledge of its daily demands. We offer information about the diabetes management options that are available and helpful, and about the possible consequences of choosing or not choosing wise options. The person with diabetes has to decide. No one else can do it."

"We also tackle specific dilemmas: When and how to tell others that I have diabetes? What about parties, sleepovers, dates, sports, illnesses, traveling, alcohol? My relationships with parents and siblings. Many topics are initiated by the campers," says Dr. De Loach. "They tell us what they want and need to know, and we explore it with them, using the most recent thinking in the field."

"Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be well managed. Even young people get depressed and angry when they hear that they have diabetes," he explained. "Since ultimately they are in charge, they benefit from acquiring good leadership skills early on. We address this age group because youth is a time of life when learning is in the air. It can be harder for adults to make optimal lifestyle changes." Detailed bilingual information about the camp staff, objectives, cost, partial scholarships, menus, and activities is available at www.continents.com/diabetes-safari.htm or from Dr. Stan De Loach at 5510-9830 in Mexico City. Individuals and companies are invited to sponsor a camper's attendance.

Wendy Luft is a freelance writer and translator, living in Mexico City. Her e-mail is: wendyluft@mac.com