Dozens of children who are ventilator-dependent (children who need tracheostomy ventilators, C-Pap, BiPap or oxygen to support breathing) and their families will enjoy a stress-free day on Miami Beach as part of the Dr. Moises Simpser Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center (VACC) Camp. The annual visit to the beach is one of several special activities that create opportunities for recreation and socialization for children who have medical limitations.
Miami Beach Fire Rescue will set up wheelchair paths along the beach for the children. A special “waterproof” wheelchair enables patients to go into the water comfortably. Special handheld ventilators provide children with the ability to breathe without their devices while in the water.
Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp is the nation’s first weeklong camp for ventilation-assisted children and their families. The camp has hosted more than 250 families during its 32 years, some of whom have traveled from 27 states and 2 countries.
The experience is provided at no cost to the families and is supported by generous donations made to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation viawww.mchf.org/vacc .
Please visit www.vacccamp.com for more information.
WHO:
- Young patients and their families
- Dr. Maria Franco, Pediatric Pulmonologist and Director of VACC Camp
- Miami Beach Fire Rescue
- Medical caregivers from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
- Student volunteers who spend their spring break at VACC Camp to provide support serve as camp counselors
WHEN: Monday, March 25 at 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(Members of the media can meet us on the sand at 1st street)
About VACC Camp:In 1986, the first Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center Camp took place during the summer and operated in collaboration with SKIP of Florida. Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp gives families a fun opportunity to socialize with peers and enjoy activities not readily accessible to technology dependent children. The camp activities promote family growth and development while enhancing individual self-esteem and social skills. Parents have formal and informal opportunities to network among themselves. Overnight campers come from throughout the United States. South Florida families and youngsters from local residential care facilities join in as day campers. For more information about Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp, please visit the camp’s website at: http://www.vacccamp.com/
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital: Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians, including more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org