Pediatric Oncologist Takes on New Role: Helping Kids Have Fun at Summer Camp

Dr. Karen Chao is the medical director for Camp Okizu, a sleepaway camp for kids with most cancers and their households

S’mores, kayaking, ropes programs, archery, and the liberty of time within the woods, away from all of the stresses of on a regular basis life. These sleepaway camp staples could be inaccessible to children navigating pediatric most cancers, have been it not for Camp Okizu.

At camp, a crew of skilled volunteers helps children who’re nonetheless receiving most cancers remedy and childhood most cancers survivors to remain protected and wholesome whereas having fun with new adventures and connecting with different children who really perceive what they’ve skilled.

Karen Chao, MD, is a kind of volunteers. This summer time, the pediatric oncologist spent her first summer time because the camp’s medical director after two years of volunteering in different roles.

“It’s an effective way for me to see children who’re going by means of remedy or off remedy simply be children once more,” she stated. “It’s very therapeutic for them to be out in nature, away from the watchful eye of oldsters and caregivers, however nonetheless have medical supervision and counselors to maintain them protected. It’s a extremely particular place the place you could be who you wish to be and never be reminded of the realities of what’s happening at residence.”

For Arian, a camper and a affected person on the Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, the very best a part of Camp Okizu is the chance to make new pals.

“At Camp Okizu everyone seems to be accepted, and everybody belongs,” he stated. “It’s a spot the place nobody judges you. It’s the very best place to make the chillest pals.”

To make this magical expertise potential, the Okizu crew begins with a campsite that retains the distinctive wants of the campers in thoughts, from paved paths to a lot of cabins for teenagers with fragile immune techniques.

The camp is staffed by a crew of counselors, a lot of whom both went by means of most cancers remedy or are a sibling of somebody who did, and a medical crew that features no less than one pediatric oncologist. Campers who nonetheless want oral chemotherapy throughout camp can safely obtain their meds.

As medical director, Dr. Chao additionally works to make sure that as many children as potential can attend camp whereas staying protected.

Along with weeklong periods of camp for teenagers receiving remedy and survivors, the camp additionally presents particular periods for his or her siblings.

“It’s such an exquisite expertise for the siblings to have an outlet after they don’t essentially get that at residence,” Dr. Chao stated. “It’s actually vital to provide them the house to course of their sophisticated emotions about their sibling going by means of remedy and what which means for them.”

This 12 months at camp, Dr. Chao labored alongside Melissa Milan, a longtime Okizu volunteer and nurse on the Bass Middle. She additionally acknowledged a number of sufferers she has handled at Stanford.

“You may nonetheless use your abilities to assist children however witness them in such a special approach than they’re after they’re within the hospital,” she stated. “It gives me some stability: What I do to avoid wasting their lives makes them depressing, however that is a technique to assist them stay their lives exterior of the hospital. It’s nice to see them on the opposite aspect of it.