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Camp Joyful Hearts
Sunday, June 23 - Friday, June 28, 2024
Register for 2024 Camp Joyful Hearts
Growing up with heart disease can be a significant physical and emotional challenge. Through Camp Joyful Hearts, the Heart Institute strives to help kids with heart disease overcome these challenges with a support network of kids in similar circ*mstances.
Camp Joyful Hearts is a residential summer camp for kids and teens with heart disease.
Camp Joyful Hearts offers many exciting camp activities such as swimming, high ropes, campfires, stargazing in our new observatory and much more! All activities are adapted to each child's abilities. A pediatric cardiologist and cardiac nurses are onsite 24 hours a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Children and teens with congenital or acquired heart disease, ages 8 to 18, may attend Camp Joyful Hearts. Eligible campers are cardiac patients actively being followed by a cardiologist at the Heart Institute or another medical center. Final admittance to camp is based upon review of our medical staff.
Camp Joyful Hearts is held at Joy Outdoor Education Center, 10117 Old 3-C Highway, in Clarksville, OH, approximately 50 minutes from Cincinnati and 75 minutes from Columbus. Easily reached by interstate and state routes, Camp Joy occupies 315 acres of trees, trails, fields and meadows overlooking a river valley. Three handicap-accessible cabins with indoor bathrooms and hot showers will house campers near the air-conditioned dining hall.
Camp Joyful Hearts encourages participation in a variety of activities that help the camper develop skills and a sense of accomplishment. Activities are adapted to each child's ability and promote the development of new friendships and individual growth. All camp activities are supervised in a safe and nurturing environment.
Examples include:
- Archery
- Arts and crafts
- Campfires
- Cooking
- Drama
- Dance
- Fishing and canoeing
- Heart Institute education programs
- High ropes courses
- Large group games
- Nature hikes
- Songs and skits
- Sports
- Survival
- Swimming
- Team building exercises
To foster camper independence, phone calls are not encouraged during the camp session. Campers may receive mail. In an emergency, you can reach Camp Joy’s on-call phone at 937-725-4036. This is strictly an emergency line.
The camp staff includes a full-time camp director, program specialists, summer cabin counselors and auxiliary staff. The counselors are selected from experienced college-age and older individuals with an interest in working with children who have medical challenges.
A pediatric cardiologist, cardiac nurses and nursepractitioners are on the premises 24 hours a day. Additional members of theHeart Institute staff visit the camp to answer questions, moderate groupeducational sessions and help the campers understand and deal withhealth-related problems more effectively. Heart Institute staff members meetwith campers’ parents on the first day of camp to review medical orders. Camppersonnel adhere to all medical orders and activity recommendations sent by thecamper’s physician and discussed with parents.
For more information on Camp Joyful Hearts, please contact Rosie Paulik:
Email: heartcamp@cchmc.org
Follow us on Facebook for fun camp updates!
Contact Information
Email: heartcamp@cchmc.org
Phone: 859-904-9188
Heart Institute
Read More
- Blog Post - Camp Joyful Hearts: A Summer Camp for Kids and Teens with Heart Disease
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