Camp del Corazon Inc. is a non-profit that provides free summer camp for children with heart disease. All proceeds are spent on the camp, and its programming, and staffed entirely by volunteers.
Located on Catalina Island, 22 miles off the California coastline, approximately 300 children have attended Camp del Corazon each year since 1995. The camp is free-of-charge, as the families affected by this disease already incur incredible financial burdens from medical bills. Children with congenital heart disease are the most underserved pediatric population in the nation, as there is much attention paid to adults with heart disease, but virtually nothing for children born with damaged hearts.
The children served by Camp del Corazon are not eligible for the summer camp experience offered by other member agencies of the American Camping Association due to the fact that they require round-the-clock medical supervision & care, and mortality rate among these youngsters are high. Many of these children have had several open-heart surgeries, pacemakers, and/or heart transplants, and many face several more surgeries in their futures. CDC offers an opportunity to finally be ‘normal,’ to forget their ailments and to connect with others who have had similar experiences and scars.
Learn more about Camp del Corazon here.