Camp for Kids with Kidney Disease
In 1975, Frost Valley YMCA, in partnership with the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, established the nation’s first mainstream camp experience for children with kidney disease. Over 45 years later, Frost Valley has welcomed more than 2,000 kidney campers. Each child has the traditional sleepaway camp experience for 12 days, in villages with same-age peers, while gaining confidence and independence in what may be their first time away from home. Campers meet other children with medical problems like theirs and share their story with their counselors and cabinmates. They learn new skills and improve techniques for managing and coping with their medical condition. Parents are able to see their child make friends, gain independence, and have fun. Kidney campers are free to just be kids!
View Testimonials from Kidney Campers
We can’t wait to see our campers for Kidney Camp 2023 at Frost Valley!
This is the first step in registering your child for kidney camp. All of our campers are generously provided with full camperships by the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation.
Please complete our registration survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/kidneycamp23
Most of our camp application will be completed in the CampDoc portal once your camper is registered. We will be in contact with your nephrology team to get a medical summary, medication list, and any needed dialysis info if your child is a hemo or PD camper.
Once medically reviewed, campers are scheduled based on session requested and available space. Spaces are filled as we get applications, and accepted until we have no more room, we do run a waiting list if needed.
Due Date
for initial applications and medical summaries is March 15, 2023.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact the coordinators or medical director at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore at (718) 655-1120 or by email if you have any questions or require any additional information. (Faster reply by email!!)
Maya Doyle, LCSW, PhD
Social Work/Coordinator
mdoyle@montefiore.org
Elena Cotillo, RN
Dialysis Nurse/Coordinator
ecotillo@montefiore.org
Rick Kaskel, MD, PhD
Medical Director
PLEASE NOTE:
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- Kidney campers MUST arrive at camp with 14 days worth of all medications with them from home in original labeled bottles from your pharmacy (not pre-poured), packed separately in a bag or cooler labeled with their name.
- We are requiring that all kidney campers have received their COVID vaccine series, and will ask all campers and staff to wear masks when in our unit at camp.
- Camp is hilly, and there is considerable walking. Kidney campers should be able to walk 200 yards unassisted (without walker, cane, etc.). If there are ambulation challenges, please let us know so we can plan accommodations if possible.
- Campers on peritoneal dialysis must be trained in CAPD in their home unit (our staff will be assisting them at camp). Our nurse coordinator would be happy to discuss, please ask!
- Transplant campers must be at least one year post-transplant.
- We cannot accommodate femoral catheters, overnight GT feeds (or other overnight equipment) at camp. Please notify us if a camper has enuresis (bedwetting) or requires GU catheterization, so we can prepare accordingly.
- Children with developmental or learning disabilities may be eligible for YAI’s Project MAC; please notify our coordinator early on if your camper might benefit from this program.
- We will do our best to accommodate your child’s unique needs, so please discuss and document early!
We want your kidney campers to have an enjoyable and rewarding experience and we appreciate your assistance in these preparations.
Camperships and Funding are provided by the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation.
You can also visit the RGKF Facebook page or YouTube page
