Brandon camp is a big hit

When it comes to adventures, Camp Care-A-Lot is praised for being top-notch and exclusive. It affords the opportunity of a lifetime solely to special-needs children.

Two weeks ago, a select group of about 25 patients, primarily 8- through 10-year-olds from Shriners Hospitals for Children-Tampa, converged for a five-night sleepover at Rotary's Camp Florida.

Their action-packed week included swimming, boating, fishing, archery, adaptive golf, arts and crafts, face painting and storytelling. They also had the opportunity to play bocce ball and watch a reptile demonstration, movies and a magic show.

Connor Carlton, 16, of Riverview, voluntarily facilitated the adaptive golf segment, a program of First Tee of Tampa Bay that he's been involved in since about age 5.

"I really like doing it," said Carlton, a junior in the International Baccalaureate program at King High, who learned about the camp through his dad, Craig, a Shriner. "Seeing the kids hit a good ball is so cool."

For the group of boys and girls with varied orthopedic disabilities, it was their first extended stay away from home without their parents. And for many it was their first experience at playing sports, especially swimming, an activity that included lessons by certified instructors.

"Parents sometimes call three or four times a day, and some call crying because they miss their kids and are concerned about their well-being," said registered nurse Bob Robaus, who has been co-director of the camp for nearly a decade of its 15-year existence.

"I try to reassure them that their children are comfortable and that they are really having fun," Robaus said. "In fact, I've really bonded with these kids, and I'll be the parent crying when they all go home."

The camp is staffed by a team of nurses, physical and occupational therapists, child life specialists, social workers and dieticians, all employees of the hospital.

"Because of the staff's involvement, this camp gives these kids the opportunity they wouldn't normally have," said Renee Savic, a psycho-social specialist and co-director of the camp. "When parents send their children away for a week at camp, I think they feel a sense of security, and the kids feel a sense of trust that familiar staff members are there with them."

Nurse Bethanne Demas, public relations director of the hospital, said the experience forges new friendships and lasting memories for everyone involved, including coordinators, counselors and campers.

"Over the years, I've seen children blossom, even those who were very homesick and withdrawn the first couple of days," said Demas, one of the program's founders. "It usually surpasses all the families' expectations."

Nurse and camp care coordinator Jacki Frost, who has been on the Shriners' staff for close to 23 years, also is one of the program's founders.

"It's an opportunity for the kids to experience a camping vacation, that if it weren't run by the staff at Shriners, parents would not let them go," she said.

The camp is free to all participants and funded through donors and sponsors.

"It's great seeing the kids socialize and seeing them use the skills they've learned to have fun," physical therapist Pam Versage said. "It's also a safe place for them to develop self-confidence and learn new skills, like swimming."

During her second day at camp Bri Somoano, 10, a rising fourth-grader at Seven Oaks Elementary in Wesley Chapel, labeled the experience "nice." She was especially looking forward to the face painting segment.

"I think I'm getting a good experience," said Bri, who often undergoes therapy at the Shriners hospital for her cerebral palsy.

Her new friend Lexi, 11, whose parents asked that her last name not be used, also is a frequent patient at the Shriners hospital, where she was fitted with a prosthesis for her right leg that had to be amputated because of a blood clot at birth.

She was excited about attending but admitted to being scared at the beginning.

"But now it feels like pretty awesome," she said.