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August, 2022 (Santa Barbara, CA) Camp Wheez celebrated its 45th year this August by welcoming 19 children for a week of fun and asthma education hosted at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara. This free community program gives youth with asthma the chance to experience all the fun of a summer camp in a safe environment designed to meet their special needs. Campers also gain the knowledge and skills to confidently manage their asthma so they can lead healthy, active lives. Under the leadership of Sansum Clinic Allergist and Immunologist and Camp Wheez Medical Director Myron Liebhaber, MD, the camp operates safely with assistance from volunteer physicians, allergists, respiratory therapists and nurses. This year, we also welcomed Cottage Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Residents to Camp Wheez for the first time. Eleven high-school volunteer counselors managed the campers and guided them through the week’s activities, while ensuring they stayed safe. Many children who attended Camp Wheez in their younger years have gone on to become counselors and supporters. “We could not have asked for a more capable and wonderful group,” commented Dr. Liebhaber. “This is a true community effort, and we’re incredible grateful for the many donors, volunteers and supporters who have made Camp Wheez possible for this long.”
Campers participated in many activities including Arts & Crafts, Games & Recreation, Cooking Lab, Lung Lab and Lung Class. Several special guests shared unique and exciting educational experiences.
Highlights included:
· Using a blender bike to make delicious smoothies
· Learning how to manage asthma symptoms and properly take asthma medication
· Getting soaked playing water games
· Exploring how our lungs work by studying real life pig lungs
· Meeting Puku, Athena and Max, owl education ambassadors from the Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s Eyes in the Sky program
· Experiencing a marine life touch-tank exhibit from the UCSB’s MOBILE REEF Unit
Parents and caregivers were invited to an Asthma Education Lunch where a panel of physicians including Dr. Jinny Chang, Dr. Victoria Eng and Dr. Luke Noronha, presented an update on pediatric asthma and answered attendees’ questions.
The fun, learning and science of Camp Wheez 2022 was made possible by the generous support of many community members and organizations including:
Volunteers:
Sansum Clinic Allergy Department
Cottage Health Respiratory Care Team
Luke Noronha, MD
Karen Acevedo, RN
Community volunteers and high school students
Donors:
Jim and Peggie Cox
Joey Flanagan Memorial Fund
Gail M. Grant
Karen Johnson, MD
Ernest Kolendrianos, MD
Myron Liebhaber, MD
Larry Rosen
Michael and Rania Shenoda
Swanton Foundation
Karen Thiessen
Community partners:
CenCal Health
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics
First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara
Explore Ecology
Food Bank of Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network
UCSB Marine Science Institute
For more information about Camp Wheez and how you can support it, visit www.sansumclinic.org/camp-wheez or contact the Sansum Clinic Health Resource Center at (805) 681-7672.
