Pittsburgh pediatric burn patients head to special summer camp
A dozen kids are heading to a special summer camp that caters to some of the Pittsburgh area's youngest burn patients.
One of those kids is high schooler Meira Loring, who said she remembers getting her burn scars at 5 years old.
"I decided that I was going to light a candle, and the match got too close to my hand, and it fell on my dress. So, 41% of my body got burned that day," Loring said.
She is one of the over 200 pediatric burn patients that doctors see each year at UPMC Mercy. Now she's one of twelve children with bags packed going to Camp Susquehanna. All the kids going to the camp have been at UPMC Mercy Hospital as burn patients too.
"Other people know what you're going through, which makes it really easy to just feel connection," said Loring. It's her eighth time going to this pediatric burn survivor camp now.
This four-day camp cultivates connection between children who bear burn scars.
"It's great emotional therapy, but it's also great physical therapy for them," said Dr. Jenny Ziembicki, the medical director of UPMC Mercy's Burn Center.
This camp is a safe and free sleepaway camp with three clinicians from UPMC. That includes a nurse, a tech and a child life specialist.
"A lot of (the children at camp) are still taking medication. They have burn garments, therapy, stretching, that type of thing that they are still going to do while they're up there," said Dr. Ziembicki.
Campers range from 7 to 17 years old, and every one of them bounced with excitement ahead of getting on the bus to camp. Parents said they know what this moment means to their kids.
"You won't regret it. It's hard letting them go, especially that first year, but it's worth it," said Tiffany Taylor, parent to 11-year-old burn survivor Miles. He's gone to this camp three times now.
While the children are at Camp Susquehanna, they enjoy rock climbing, cooking, swimming and engaging in deep conversations.
"Do you see a difference when he comes back?" KDKA-TV's Megan Shinn asked.
"Oh yeah. He — more confidence," Taylor said.
With a hug and kiss goodbye, the children run to be first on the bus for a life-changing camp that helps connect the spirits of all pediatric burn survivors.
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