Welcome back to TubieTalk! Summer is a great time to attend summer camps such as: Church camp, Band camp, Sports camp, or Dance camp, and more, plus is a prime time to plan a mini vacation to a camping site. While it can seem intimidating to send your Tubie or medically complex child away to a summer camp, rest assured there are options that cater to you or your medically complex child/ Tubie’s specific needs. Outdoor camping can also serve as a great bonding experience for you and your Tubie or, if you are a Tubie yourself, is a great way to connect with the outdoors, conquer challenges, and embrace your inner adventurous side. If you are a Tubie, before heading to a summer camp or camping site, ensure you are prepared for a successful feed away from home by always having proper supplies with you, such as your tube feeding emergency kit.

After reaching out to people within the tube feeding community, we received helpful tips, tricks, and advice for taking a trip to a camping site and discovered recommended summer camps for children who are medically complex. We hope sharing this first-hand knowledge helps others in similar situations. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and advice on this topic.

MEDICALLY COMPLEX SUMMER CAMPS

Sending your Tubie or medically complex child to summer camp is a great way to keep them involved, active, and engaged with others who share similar interests and challenges. Across the globe, there are summer camps that are specifically tailored to your child’s needs. These camps also offer specialized approaches to keep your child involved while insuring all their personal needs are met. See the list below for recommendations on various, popular medically complex summer camps as well as more information on each:

If you think you or your Tubie/ medically complex child would better thrive within your home or chosen environment, consider looking at virtual summer camps. Virtual summer camps offer your child the summer camp experience, but in the comfort of wherever you choose. Virtual camps will have set schedules as well as personalized options for what activities you or your child will participate in. To see a list of recommended online summer camps, click HERE.

OUTDOOR CAMPING

Planning a camping trip, whether by yourself or with friends and family, is a fun and memorable summer idea. As a Tubie yourself or a parent/caregiver of a Tubie, it is important to plan and prepare to administer feeds at a camping site, in a RV, or in a tent. TubieTalk is excited to share first-hand advice from a member of the Tubie community, Anna M. Check out Anna’s advice for tube feeding while at a camping site:

Bring lots of bottled water (for hand washing)
Bring sterile water (for flushes etc.)
Bring surface disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer
Bring a pack of baby wipes for cleaning tube stomas
Bring lots of extra supplies just in case
Bring a cool box for feed if needed

BONUS TIP: “We sleep in a 3-person tent, despite only being the two of us, so that we have plenty of space to store my medical stuff as well as clothes.”- Anna M.

**NOTE: THIS INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE USED IN PLACE OF THE ADVICE AND DIRECTION OF YOUR DOCTOR.

REMEMBER TO JOIN #TUBIETALK

We hope you enjoyed this edition of TubieTalk. Hearing stories and words of advice from other Tubie families on medically complex summer camps and camping helps spread kindness, creates community, and builds advocacy.

If you are a part of the Tubie world, and find these heartfelt stories and words of encouragement useful, please feel free to join TubieTalk to leave your own tube feeding advice HERE and support others around you!

If you are interested in reading more on Tubie Topics, check out our past Blogs below!

Traveling with a Feeding Tube

Sibling Inclusion

Tube Feeding Advice from Moms

Remember to follow @tubietalk on social media to be the first to know what our next Tubie topic will be!