Every Child with T1D Belongs at Camp

A common misconception about diabetes camp is that it’s only for kids who are newly diagnosed or struggling with their type 1 diabetes. While camp can certainly be a powerful experience for those children, the truth is much bigger than that.

Camp Hertko Hollow is for every child living with type 1 diabetes.

Living with diabetes can sometimes feel isolating—at school, on sports teams, or in everyday life, your child may be the only one who checks their blood sugar, counts carbs, or wears a pump or CGM. At camp, that changes. Suddenly, everyone understands. Everyone checks their blood sugar. Everyone knows what it means to live with diabetes.

Camp provides a community where kids feel seen, understood, and supported by peers who truly “get it.” The friendships formed at camp often last for years—and sometimes a lifetime.

More Than Just Diabetes Education

Camp Hertko Hollow isn’t a boot camp, and it’s not diabetes education all day, every day. First and foremost, it’s camp. Campers swim, climb, play games, laugh around campfires, and try new adventures—just like any other summer camp. Along the way, they gain something incredibly valuable: confidence in managing their diabetes in real-life situations.

Through hands-on experiences and guidance from trained medical and camp staff, campers learn practical skills that help them become more independent and empowered in their diabetes care.

But often, the most important lessons happen naturally—through conversations with friends in the cabin, seeing older campers confidently managing their diabetes, or realizing they are not alone.

Why Every Child with T1D Belongs at Camp

Camp helps kids:

  • Build confidence in their diabetes management

  • Gain independence in a supportive environment

  • Connect with peers who understand their daily experiences

  • Develop friendships that can last a lifetime

  • Simply be kids in a place where diabetes is understood

Most importantly, camp reminds children that diabetes is just one part of who they are—not the thing that defines them.

The Bottom Line

If your child lives with type 1 diabetes, they belong at Camp Hertko Hollow.

Not because they’re struggling.

Not because they need fixing.

But because every child with type 1 diabetes deserves the community, confidence, and joy that camp can provide.

Ready to Give Your Child the Camp Experience They Deserve?

Register for Camp Hertko Hollow Today and let your child join a supportive, empowering, and fun community where they can thrive, make lifelong friends, and just be themselves.