Autoimmune diseases can strike kids too. This camp lets those kids just be kids

It may sound surprising, but children can get lupus, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases, although they're not as common in children as adults. These youngsters' lives are often filled with hospital appointments and medicines, but a special summer camp allows them to enjoy life like other children. Symptoms of these diseases in youngsters can sometimes be more severe, and treating growing bodies is challenging. Ethan Blanchfield-Killeen is 11 years old, and he has a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. His family doctor suggested the camp, and he's enjoying every minute of it. "I haven't gone before, and it's kind of like a new experience, you know? It's very fun to kind of go away and do activities I haven't done before, especially with different groups of kids," says Blanchfield-Killeen. The camp is a partnership with Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. And a rheumatologist is on hand to give out medicines, do check-ups, and be present for any issues that may arise for the children. Dr. Natalia Vasquez-Canizares, a Pediatric Rheumatologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, says at the camp the children can enjoy themselves without worrying about their illnesses. "A lot of our patients have chronic diseases, and we wanted them to feel what it is to be in a summer camp, not being worried about their disease and going to the hospital,” she says. Vasquez-Canizares says many people just aren't aware that children can have these chronic diseases. "A lot of people are not aware that these diseases can happen. And most of the time they think it only happen in adulthood. Right? So, when I meet people that are like, wait, what? Can kids have arthritis? Can kids have lupus? It's like, yeah, they do,” she says. The Frost Valley YMCA camp welcomes children throughout the summer to do rope courses, swim in the lake, garden, and other camp traditions. This article was provided by The Associated Press.