YOUNG ASTHMATICS GO TO CAMP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIVING & DEALING WITH THEIR CONDITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 26, 2003

MEDIA - FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sherie Cantrell
Media & Public Relations Coordinator

Work (361) 694-5662
www.driscollchildrens.org

YOUNG ASTHMATICS GO TO CAMP TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT LIVING & DEALING WITH THEIR CONDITION

Driscoll Children’s Hospital presents … 2^nd Annual Camp Easy Breathers Children ages 7 to 12 with asthma June 2 - 6, 2003 l 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; dailyTexas A & M University – Corpus Christi l 6300 Ocean Drive $75 per camper ($10 registration fee) l Scholarships are available. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, May X, 2003 Call (361) 694-6123 for more information.

(Corpus Christi, TX) Asthma affects an estimated 15 million Americans, one-third of whom are children. Although there is no cure for the disease, living a healthy, active life with asthma is in fact possible. 2^nd Annual Camp Easy Breathers, a one week summer day camp for children with moderate to severe asthma, is designed to provide physical and social experiences that are fun while increasing a child’s understanding of his or her asthma. Open to any child with moderate or severe asthma, Driscoll’s camp will take place Monday, June 2 through Thursday, June 6, 2003 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Texas A & M University in Corpus Christi.

Campers will learn to manage their asthma so that they can fully enjoy all camp activities. These exercises are also designed to give children a better understanding of the asthma that will benefit them even after camp is over. Activities planned include swimming, arts and crafts, soccer, sports, special shows, a field trip to Texas A & M Beach, and much more. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

Camp co-directors are Sam Carrell, RN, CPNP, Driscoll Children’s Hospital Pulmonary Clinic Nurse Practitioner and Shelly Villarreal, RRT, Driscoll Children’s Hospital Respiratory Therapist. Additional staff includes nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and other health professionals from the community.

Cost & Orientation

Cost is $75 per camper and scholarships are available. All campers must pay $10 with registration form to guarantee their place. Deadline for registration is Wednesday, May 26,^th2003.

There will be a required orientation for parents and campers on Saturday, May 26, 2003 OR Saturday, June X, 2003, both days from 2:30 until 5 p.m. Campers and parents MUST attend one of the orientations to attend camp. No exceptions.

About Asthma . . .

Asthma is a chronic disorder in which the airways in the lungs become swollen, clogged, and overly sensitive to changes in the environment. During an attack, the muscles that surround the airways tighten, and the inner lining of the airways swells and pushes inward. Asthma kills about 5,000 Americans each year and costs the United States over $10 billion dollars a year in direct and indirect medical expenses. Timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, developing and managing a partnership with a health care professional, as well as reducing exposure to environmental factors assist in living with asthma.

Camp Easy Breathers is sponsored by Coastal Bend Asthma Initiative, Driscoll Children’s Hospital, University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston, Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi, and GlaxoSmithKline.

About Driscoll Children’s Hospital
“Improve the health of adults and you give them back their health …
Improve the health of children and you give them their life.”

For almost 50 years, the non-profit Driscoll Children's Hospital has offered hope and healing by providing quality healthcare to relieve suffering and meet the needs of children in South Texas. As one of only 38 free standing children’s hospitals in the United States, Driscoll Children’s Hospital is a 200-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties. The hospital’s referral area spans 31,000 square miles, making it larger than the state of South Carolina, and offers care to children throughout all of South Texas including the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley.

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