PLYMOUTH, MA – November 15, 2019 – Jett Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is thrilled to announce the summer 2020 launch of a brand-new sister program of Camp Promise, Camp Promise Retreat. This new program will be geared toward young adults and adults, aged 18+, living in Arizona and Ohio with Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophy and is free-of-charge to all camp participants.
Camp Promise, Jett Foundation’s free week-long camp for kids, teens and young adults with select neuromuscular disorders, is a welcoming community where campers learn from and support each other, fostering new and lasting friendships that extend beyond camp. Programming builds independence, confidence, and life skills through traditional camp activities and by bringing campers new experiences through adaptation, technology, creativity, and special guests. Camp Promise remains the only camp in the United States exclusively for individuals of all ages with muscular dystrophy or select neuromuscular diseases. For a list of diagnoses served by Camp Promise, please visit www.camppromise.org.
“These new, four-day, retreat-style camps will aim to preserve the energy and culture of Camp Promise, while tailoring to the unique experiences that older campers face as they enter adulthood with a rare disease,” said Christine McSherry, founder and president of Jett Foundation. “We all crave a safe, welcoming community of peers and friends and this need does not end as campers enter young adulthood.”
The idea for Camp Promise Retreat emerged from an unmet need observed by Jodi Wolff and Jackie Simcic-Becker in their local camp communities in Arizona and Ohio. Combined, Wolff and Becker share 40+ years of experience working with traditional camp programs focused on campers with neuromuscular disorders. Both witnessed the challenges experienced by the campers and parents they had grown close to as they aged out of the camp programs they attended as children.
“Camp is the best time to spend with friends sharing life’s ups and downs living with DMD. We find ways to laugh and come home smiling,” said Jack, a 20-year-old who recently aged out of the camp he was attending. “It was hard to graduate from camp knowing I wouldn’t be able to come back again next summer.”
Summer camps are not only incredible opportunities for campers, but also meaningful to families and provide a much-deserved break for their parents and guardians, who often serve as primary caregivers. The work of caregivers gets harder and harder over time as neuromuscular diseases progress.
“As hard as it was for me to send my 20-year-old to camp, it made me realize how much I needed a break,” said Karen Wolf. “Knowing they are equipped to handle my child’s needs relieved my stress level. Time away from home allows me to rejuvenate and have a fresh outlook on life.”
Similar to the traditional week-long Camp Promise experience, Camp Promise Retreat will see to all medical needs of each participant, providing piece of mind for campers and families alike. Each retreat site will be staffed with medical professionals including a nurse and a respiratory therapist, as well as trained counselors paired one-to-one with each camper.
In concert with Jett Foundation’s staff and resources, Wolff and Becker will each serve as Camp Directors, leading a Camp Promise Retreat specifically tailored for campers who live in their respective communities of Arizona and Ohio. The Camp Promise Retreat program will include regular camp activities to explore life-long hobbies and develop new interests. Workshops will also be incorporated to support young adults with transitional planning to promote independent adults. Specific dates and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
For updates on Camp Promise Retreat, including dates and locations, please check jettfoundation.org/cpretreat or sign up for Jett Foundation’s mailing list at jettfoundation.org/stayconnected. Questions regarding this new program can be directed to Jett Foundation at info@jettfoundation.org. To help support the success of our inaugural year of Camp Promise Retreat, please donate today at jettfoundation.org/cpretreat.
About Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Diagnosed during childhood, Duchenne is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that causes a loss of motor, pulmonary, and cardiac function, and premature death. It affects every one in 3,500 live male births and some females. Duchenne has no cure. Children with Duchenne are born seemingly healthy and decline over time, usually losing their ability to walk around the age of 12 and succumbing to the disease in their early to mid-twenties.
About Jett Foundation
Since 2001, Jett Foundation, located in Plymouth, Mass., has worked to find treatments and a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy while improving and enriching the lives of those impacted. Jett Foundation is a registered charity with 501(c)(3) status from the IRS; all donations are tax deductible. www.jettfoundation.org.
Media Contact for Jett Foundation
Gabriella Costa, gabriella@jettfoundation.org, 781-585-5566
