Stories

HFQ camp 2012

Thu 25 Oct 2012

Recently Haemophilia Foundation Queensland held their annual youth camp, at the Emu Gully Adventure Park just outside of Toowoomba. HFQ’s youth camp aims to get boys of ranging ages, from about 8 years old together for a great weekend of fun and education. The main aim of this camp is to show boys that Haemophilia is in no way a barrier to life and they can do anything (including all the physically challenging activities we did at camp), while educating them on managing their Haemophilia (specifically self cannulation and being away from home and parents).

HFQ received its best attendance rate since the revival of their youth camp last year. In 2011 HFQ held their first youth camp after about 10 years. 2011 was a great success, yet 2012 surpassed 2011 as there were more boys there, more challenges overcome and tons of friends made.

I’d like to add in my own personal reflection on the weekend. I’m 18 years old now and have been a part of the HFQ Board for the past two and a half years, as well as being an active member of HFQ for the past 18 years. After 2011’s and 2012’s camp, I saw great results and benefits and potential for the future. From my point of view I saw boys achieve and overcome challenges in their life, a lot of which was based on confidence issues. I witnessed people take part in activities which they were either scared to do (one activity was to crawl through pitch black tunnels) or thought they couldn’t do (walk across a tightrope). Boys also overcame their fear of self cannulating, as some of the younger boys and even a couple of older ones needed to make that jump to being (or knowing how to be) independent. I also saw from my point of view the older boys mentoring the younger ones, almost like an older brother, which is a brilliant thing as it shows the younger ones that they can deal with Haemophilia and not let it stop them (as some of the older boys were a good example of how to do anything- but safely).

All in all, HFQ was very pleased with the results and benefits of their youth camp. I can say on behalf of the board and other participants, that it was an excellent time. Everyone was very happy with what each individual drew from the weekend. To say it was a great weekend would be an understatement, it was just priceless.