Camp Wheeze-Away kicked off its 20th event Thursday at the Owensboro Health’s Healthpark. All 33 kids that will attend the three-day camp have one thing in common — asthma.
Camp Wheeze-Away is an educational day camp aimed at empowering children with asthma – and their parents – to develop the skills needed to manage their own asthma, make healthy choices and lead normal, physically active lives.
The camp, aimed for children ages 6 to 10, was developed 20 years ago by Dr. Lee Clore, medical director of Allergy & Asthma Specialists. When Clore came to Owensboro 22 years ago, he saw a need for children suffering from asthma to be educated on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack on their own, and how to properly treat themselves.
According to office manager Jean Owen, children participate in interactive educational activities, disguised as fun and games, which teach them how to manage their asthma. Educational classroom sessions regarding asthma and disease management are taught by volunteers including a physician, nurses, respiratory therapists and other health professionals.
Owen said campers do not have to be patients of Clore or even from Owensboro, but most often are both. This year attendance is up from previous years, when camper numbers were in the mid-20s.
According to Owen, nearly 60 to 65 percent of Clore’s patients are children. She said this camp is important to teach kids to recognize their asthma triggers and why their medications are so important, but the camp also serves one other very important purpose.
“During camp, these kids realize other kids have asthma and they are not alone,” Owen said. “They learn that others have asthma too and that they can have an active lifestyle.”
