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Essay

Diabetes Camp in America

By John Gathright


アメリカの糖尿病キャンプ

糖尿病というと大人の病気のイメージが強いが、子供がかかる場合もある。「1型糖尿病」と呼ばれるもので、筆者の長男も幼くして1型にかかった。日本では1型に対する医療が遅れている上、社会の理解も少なく、家族は人知れぬ苦労を強いられてきた。しかし光明はあるものだ。カリフォルニアに子供の糖尿病患者のためのキャンプがあるという。筆者も家族も救われた思いでアメリカへ飛んだ。

"Hey, Johnny, thanks for getting Diabetes! This is the best camp ever," Denny exclaimed as he gave his big brother Johnny a hug.

糖尿病患者のためのキャンプ「Bearskin Meadow Camp」の前で
My wife and I just looked at each other with tears of joy and gratitude in our eyes. I said, "I think I have cried more this past year than in my whole life. What a treat for the tears to be happy ones."

Like so many parents of diabetic children in Japan, we have felt overwhelmed and alone. Japan is a great country and has wonderful medical care, but it seems to have neglected diabetic children. Treatments and diagnoses are either outdated or incorrect, and there is little support for struggling families.

The whole society seems to have a stigma against diabetes. The truth is Type 1 diabetes is not a lifestyle disease. There is no cure and no known cause. It just seems to hit children and young adults suddenly.

In order to help their diabetic children survive, families must perform great feats of parenting. Imagine an exhausted parent in the early hours of the morning having to deal with a sick child. Now imagine that every night for 10 to 15 years.

Next, add seizures, emergency hospital visits, multiple daily shots and blood checks, social stigma and prejudice, and schooling issues. Mix in child depression, teenage rebellion, fears of blindness, amputation, and future health complications, and you have an inkling of diabetic life for mums and dads. It's a challenge.

So, we were very excited when we found out about Bearskin Meadow Camp in California, which is organized by the Diabetic Youth Foundation. This organization is an NPO which aims to "enhance the quality of life of people affected by diabetes." We had to go, and so with high hopes and a little apprehension, we set off for America.

南カリフォルニアのカルスパードにあるテーマパーク「レゴランド」の前ではしゃぐジョニー(左)とデニー
I was the most excited of all. Denny, our non-diabetic 9-year-old son, was not very excited about the camp. Even though we had bribed him with a visit to Legoland in California and other fun and exciting things, he was really dragging his feet.

"Why do I have to go? I'm not diabetic so it will be really boring. It'll just be people sitting around taking shots and talking about blood, right? The food's going to be terrible - no sweets or good stuff like icecream, right? No sports - just learning about diabetes stuff. We do everything for Johnny because he has diabetes. Do I have to go?"

When I reminded him of the happy faces on the children on the camp's Web site, Denny, in all seriousness, said: "Maybe they paid them to smile!"

Denny is a kind and happy guy but the diabetes is hard on him too! Johnny gets so much time and energy from us. Our meals and outings revolve around his shots and blood tests. Denny is dragged to the hospital with us when Johnny has problems, and has spent many hours totally bored waiting for us. Denny tries his best but he gets frustrated too.

Johnny, too, had his apprehensions. Johnny had been asked to report about the camp to the organization, Diabetes Children in Japan. Johnny had also agreed to give a report to his school about his diabetes to help inform teachers and students. Up until now he did his best to hide his diabetes and shunned any questions or conversation about it.

Johnny wasn't quite sure he wanted to start school with everyone knowing he was diabetic. But he also knew that if he went into low blood sugar shock, someone at school could then save his life. It is a hard call for a 10-year-old. Risk the embarrassment or risk the danger of a seizure?

After a quick trip to our grandparents in southern California, (and yes, Legoland) we made for the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Bearskin Meadow. Eight hours of highways later, we reached Kings Canyon Sequoia National Park. For a family of tree climbers and treehouse dwellers, we were all excited as we ooh-ed and aah-ed over the huge sequoia trees.

Johnny and Denny leapt with joy when they saw a young bear. They found huge pine cones and chased squirrels. The Bearskin Meadow Camp sign brought the boys back to the reality of our visit to America, but little were they aware of what was waiting for them there.

(To be continued)



Shukan ST: Sept. 10, 2004

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