'I want to become a pharmacist, to help my sick parents’. The story of the Demetrius family, a family with diabetes.

‘I want to become a pharmacist, to help my sick parents, to explain everything on the doctor's prescription to them’, says Alexa, a 9-year-old participant of the Family Camp for children with diabetes and their parents.

Dan and Simone, Alexa's parents, have been living with diabetes for more than 20 years. When they found out that their daughter also had diabetes, they weren't too surprised. However, this didn’t make the moment of diagnosis, and everything that followed, any easier.

‘We didn't expect it to happen at such a young age, at just 10 months old. We felt a sense of guilt that this happened’.

‘When our daughter was diagnosed, we didn't have access to sensors, insulin pumps, we didn't have the financial means. We had to make superhuman efforts to ensure she had the best possible life. There were many times when my wife and I needed blood glucose tests, but we didn't use them because Alexa needed them, too. Many times, we sacrificed our needs for her...’, Dan confides.

The free Yuppi Camp is the first time the Demetrius family has been able to relax. ‘Never, since Alexa was born, have we been able to be somewhere without being on alert. Here, for the first time, we were able to relax, knowing that our daughter is in good hands. It was something amazing for us. And at Yuppi they've thought of us adults, too, helping us to create our own moments, our own carefree experiences’, Dan shares.

Chronically ill children and their parents never take a break from the illness, even though they really need one. For many families, the Yuppi Camp is the only place where they can take a breath of fresh air in all their suffering. This year, their last chance for this is during the Family Weekend, held between 27-29 September. Help them get there!

Offer moments without the worry of illness for these families. Donate!