Note: The following item was provided by Atrium Health Floyd, a sponsor of Polk Today content. – KtE
ROME – A comment from 7-year-old Abby Turner about her brother might have been the best comment to capture the gentle spirit of Kiki’s Kids Camp, a four-day event for youth from ages of 6 – 12 who have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
“He loves me all the time,” Abby said of her brother Mike, who is 9. Both kids, who attend Pepperell Elementary School, were enjoying their second year at the camp, which ended Thursday, marking its 30th anniversary. Abby has diabetes; Mike just goes along for support.
“I just want to look out for her. I make sure she is feeling OK. I check her sugar, too,” Mike said.
The annual camp is organized by Floyd Healthcare Foundation and held at Darlington School. Kiki’s Kids Camp is funded by a planned gift from the estate of the late Angelique (Kiki) Petropole, a Rome pediatric nurse who had diabetes. The gift continues to fund the camp and the purchase of diabetes supplies for children in need.
Campers learn about nutrition, diabetes management, independence and self-discipline from trained clinicians and volunteers. Teens ages 13 – 17 who have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes can attend as junior counselors/counselors-in-training. This year’s event included twenty campers.
Mabel Wofford, 8, also attended the camp for the second year. She said the camp helps her make connections with other kids who understand exactly what she is experiencing.
“You got to meet other kids and share. You find out you are not the only one with diabetes,” Mabel said.
She said the camp has taught her a lot of things about her condition and said she has learned how to better control her sugar level and stay healthy.
Visit the Kiki’s Kids Camp page on Facebook to stay updated on next year’s camp. For more information, contact Floyd Healthcare Foundation at 706-509-3290.
About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the fifth-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health.
Atrium Health Floyd employs more than 3,500 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 304-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; as well as Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health – a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility in Rome – and also primary care and urgent care network locations throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the fifth-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies.
It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs nearly 150,000 team members across 67 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $5 billion in annual community benefits.
