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Alaska's beautiful Kenai Peninsula - home to king salmon, glaciers and the Alaska Railroad - is now also home to the first Peninsula Puffins Asthma Camp in Cooper Landing.
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| Courtesy | Liz Collins |
"In the woods with wheezers" was the slogan for the four-day camp run by Campfire of American staff at the end of June. Three respiratory therapists and a registered nurse from Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna hosted asthma education classes for an hour every morning and evening for 14 campers. A pediatrician, a family practice physician, and an allergy, asthma, and immunology physician, all practicing in Anchorage, also volunteered their expertise.
A popular activity among the campers was a lively scavenger hunt that included clues based on asthma-related facts to obtain puzzle pieces that they had to put together to win. The "Lungo" game - Bingo modified with asthma terms - was also a hit.
But the most exciting event had to be the 11-mile raft trip the campers took down the beautiful Kenai River. A brown bear was spotted fishing for salmon on the banks, and the weather was beautiful.
Just in case, the medical staff provided N-95 respirator masks for ash protection from Mt. Redoubt volcano that has been intermittently erupting since early spring and is located about 60 miles from the campsite.
While the campers had lots of stories about fun times to bring home to their parents, they also could share the knowledge they learned. The campers, ages 8 to 14, were fairly unsophisticated about their disease at the start of camp, but by the end they could give you their peak flow zones, tell you about their rescue and controller meds, and describe the pathophysiology of inflammation, bronchospasm, and the role of mucus in an asthma exacerbation.
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| Courtesy | Liz Collins |
"This was a tremendous success," said Paul Drake, RRT, the department director for Central Peninsula Hospital's respiratory therapy department. "These kids had a great time and learned so much about taking care of their asthma."
Recruitment for next year's asthma camp will begin in January. The Asthma, Allergy Foundation of America was the main sponsor of the camp, which also was made possible by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Central Peninsula Hospital administration, and the Central Peninsula Health Foundation.
Liz Collins is a staff therapist at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. The 49-bed hospital has six full-time respiratory therapists plus a sleep lab and pulmonary rehab.
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