’Mom, let me give myself the injection.’ The story of Matthew and the disease that never goes away.

How can you take care of your biggest dream? Helen and Francis tried for a baby for nine years. Matthew was born after many attempts, doubts, prayers and unsuccessful hormone treatments. When she found out that she got pregnant, Helen felt on cloud nine. Their family was finally complete.

Then came the day when Matthew was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It was the Autumn of 2017, the year Matthew started school. He lost a lot of weight during the vacation, but Helen thought it happened due to all the running and football playing during the summer.

Everything was so peaceful, dream-like. Then reality hit me. The diagnosis we were not prepared for. I could not understand: why him, why us, why my child, whom I wanted so much?!

While Helen tells me her story, Matthew and Stephen, his younger brother, participate in the evening games. Yuppi Camp is their first camp ever, the first time they sleep anywhere other than at home or in the hospital lounge.

At the beginning of the treatment, I was sobbing while the nurses tried to teach me how to give him the injections. I was crying so hard that Matthew turned to me and said: ’Mom, let me give myself the injection’. My child was always braver than me.

I can talk about it now, but before I didn’t have the courage to share our pain with anyone. I fell to pieces. I needed a psychologist. The most painful thing was when his little brother asked: ’Mom, when will Matthew get rid of these injections?’

Before we left for camp, my younger son told his father to always keep his phone charged because they would call him as often as they can. ’It's going to be very hard without you, I don't know if we can make it’, he said.

The boys didn’t call even once after we arrived. They were having so much fun, they had no time to waste on the phone. This made us smile. They really like it here so much; they even befriended the children from the camp. During these days, I also felt a bit like a child again, I forgot about our problems. There was a moment when I realised that I had a lot of missed calls from my husband, but it didn’t even worry me.

After the diagnosis, the life of a family with a chronically ill child will never be the same. However, the moments when everything seems normal again, are priceless. At Yuppi Camp we cannot cure children, but we can give them a few days when they feel accepted as they are. Days when they feel safe. Days without they worry of illness. We offer such moments for 200 chronically ill child every year.

You can create such moments, too! Donate!

Yuppi Camp organises free therapeutic recreation camps and activities for children and teenagers with cancer, diabetes or other autoimmune diseases, and their families, where they participate in activities such as climbing, equestrianism, rowing, archery, handicraft, acting, and magic.

Christine,

Volunteer at Yuppi Camp