MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A youth group with special needs defied limitations to have fun on a sunny Tuesday in Miami Beach with the help of the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center Camp.
Michelle Croce, a mother from New York, said her 18-year-old son Gavin looks forward to the fun more than he does Christmas week. And for someone who loves Christmas, that’s a lot.
Gavin lives with nemaline myopathy, a rare genetic disorder that causes weakness in breathing muscles and difficulty swallowing due to weak facial and throat muscles.
“I would never be able to tell Gavin that we can’t come, so we drive about 22.5 - 23 hours to get here,” Croce said.
The VACC camp hosts a free week-long overnight adventure for youth who depend on a tracheostomy ventilator, C-PAP, BiPAP, or oxygen support.
Dr. Maria Franco, the VACC camp’s director and pediatric pulmonologist, said the kids travel from all over to participate.
“This camp is open to everybody who wants to come, and it’s for free for the whole family ... and they feel the difference, they feel care, not only care, but they can be like anybody else,” Franco said.
The program includes swimming, field trips, entertainment, games, “free play,” and other activities for the children to work on social skills.
“It’s amazing as a mom just to see this,” Croce said.
Victor White, Miami Beach Fire Rescue’s division training chief, was part of the children’s support team.
“We’ve been involved for over 20 years,” White said.
Yanisha Plante was with her three-year-old son Jahnai, who lives with obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that requires the use of oral appliances to keep his airway open.
“I was so happy when they told me that they would have firefighters here, to be able to bring him in the water, because he is not used to this,” Plante said. “So, every time I took him to the beach, he had to play in the sand.”
This is the camp’s 40th year. White said that for as long as he has been involved, it has gotten better and better every year.
“It started ... by laying sheets of plywood to help the wheelchairs come out, to getting them in the water and giving them a chance to enjoy what sometimes we take for granted,” White said.
For more information about how to donate, volunteer, or participate as a camper, visit this page.
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