A special camp, the first of its kind in Israel, for children and adolescents with burn injuries, opened on March 31, 2009 under the supervision and guidance of physical and occupational therapists from Schneider Children’s. The camp is located at Kibbutz Ha’on in the Galilee overlooking Lake Kinneret and can host up to 25 youngsters between the ages of 7-17 per session. The first session extended over 4 days.

The idea for the camp was initiated by Yuliana Eshel, Director of Occupational Therapy, and Nili Arbel, Director of Physical Therapy at Schneider Children’s, and is generously supported by Samuel Davis Esq., Director of “Burn Advocates Network” of New Jersey, USA. The camp is based upon a similar one in Pennsylvania, USA, where Israeli children with burn injuries were guests for the past three years at the invitation of its director, Dr. Marsha Levinson.

The objective of establishing the camp in Israel for youngsters injured by burns is to allow them to have fun together, make new friends locally, and spend time in a compassionate environment outside the home and hospital. Burns are one of the most painful and devastating injuries for a child or young adolescent and require intensive rehabilitation, multiple skin grafts, and painful physical therapy. They invariably leave victims with physical disfigurement and deep emotional scars. The child with burn injuries therefore requires additional resources to cope with the challenge of reintegration into society.

To promote new ways of coping with their wounds and scars, campers participate in a variety of activities including swimming, boating, ropes course, hands-on music, cosmetology, dance, and engaging character-building activities.The multidisciplinary medical team in attendance includes doctors, physical and occupational therapists, nurses and social workers. The camp is sponsored by several business concerns in the medical cosmetics industry, as well as the “Simchat Layeled” association, whose volunteers assist children in the camp.

According to Yuliana Eshel, “The idea for a camp in Israel for youngsters with burn injuries followed the positive experience our patients had at the camp in the US. The camp enabled the children to regain their self-confidence and meet others with burn injuries about which they were able to share and commiserate with total understanding. We have no doubt that the new camp in Israel will have the same effect here”.

Schneider Children’s is most grateful to Burn Advocates Network, who stated that “Israel has more than its share of children who have endured severe burn injuries from domestic causes as well as terrorist attacks. The Burn Advocates Network's commitment to creating a burn camp for Israeli children arises out of the experience we had in sponsoring young burn survivors at Camp Susquehanna in Lancaster County, PA. Israel’s first burn camp will provide a fun, safe, and healing environment where kids will not be judged by their scars.”


February 2009