THE 20th year of a camp for young burn victims started by two North Shore firefighters is in full swing at Camp Latona on Gambier Island this week.
Burn Camp is a program offered through the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund that gives children who are burn survivors the opportunity to come together for a week in a fun, safe atmosphere. The camp is being hosted this year by the North Vancouver District Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1183.
The camp, which kicked off with a pancake breakfast in North Vancouver on Sunday, is a chance for kids "to go and meet other kids who have gone through it," said Erik Vogel, Burn Camp director.
"It's a chance for them to have fun and not worry about people starring at their scars and asking them questions."
Dominic Pellett, a 15-year-old burn survivor from Langley, has been attending the camp for the past four years. He said likes "meeting new people and hanging out with the people I've met there before."
Camp activities include everything from kayaking, hiking and swimming, to
skit night and arts and crafts. Campers also receive one-onone support from counsellors and other burn survivors. Most of the counsellors are firefighters, but also include burn nurses, doctors, and adult burn survivors.
Each cabin of around 16 to 17 campers also have junior counsellors on hand who are graduates of the camp.
"We need them as role models," said Vogel, adding that having junior counsellors for the campers mean they have someone to relate to.
"A lot of the kids will show up wearing hoodies and sweatpants and to them this is the most horrific thing that's ever happened and it's only happened to them and they think they're disfigured," Vogel said. "It's huge for us to see them after a few days realize that they don't need to be wearing their hoodies at this camp and eventually the hoodies come off."
The camp was started back in 1994 by Peter Hansen, a North Vancouver District Fire Fighter, and Norm McLeod, a West Vancouver Fire Fighter. It runs for one week every July and approximately 800 children between the ages of six and 18 have attended since it started.
Burn survivors are found through a database of children across B.C. who have been admitted to hospital for burns. Causes range from playing with matches and scalds from hot water, to accidental injuries from house fires, boating and car accidents.
"We'll follow up with phone calls if we can but there's a lot of kids out there that could use this that maybe we don't know about," said Vogel.
For Pellett, camp has given him more confidence.
"I've been more open about burns," he said. "I don't have to hide it."
