Each year a number of Tufts University Medical School students take time out of their schedules to make a difference in the lives of children affected by HIV.
Boston [11.04.08] Every year a unique summer camp offers children affected by HIV and busy Tufts medical students a rare opportunity-the chance to step out of their busy, very adult lives and be kids again together. The Ron Burton Training Village in Hubbardston, Mass., owned by the family of the former New England Patriots player, is home to Camp Miracles and Magic, a one-week summer camp for children aged 6 to 14 who are either HIV-positive themselves or have a family member afflicted with the illness.
Heather Begley (M'09), a fourth-year medical student planning to specialize in pediatrics, was among more than a dozen students recruited from the medical school to volunteer at the camp during the summer between first and second year.
"For us as physicians, it's important to see that people with long-term illnesses still have daily lives, and still can be kids and be happy," she says.
The camp, organized by Eliot Tatelman-owner of Massachusetts furniture retailer Jordan's Furniture-and his wife, June, was founded in honor of Eliot's brother Milton, who died at the age of 50 due to AIDS-related lymphoma in June of 1993. For more than a decade the camp has offered activities including field trips to Boston sights like Fenway Park or a harbor cruise, trips to amusement parks, ice skating rinks and other destinations. Camp participants are referred to the camp by area hospital social workers.
Russ Kerbel, a 2008 medical school graduate, currently a first year resident in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has volunteered off and on for the camp over the past seven years, drawing in several Tufts medical students along the way. Kerbel became aware of the camp after rooming with the Tatelman's son Mike at Union College in New York. After completing his first year of volunteering just as he was headed off to Tufts, Kerbel says he realized what a great asset his new classmates could be to the camp.
"Immediately I knew this would be a perfect place for medical students to work," Kerbel says. "And not specifically because the kids were sick, but more so as an introduction to disease and to see how people are coping and thriving with illness in certain situations."
After his first year at Tufts, Kerbel brought five of his fellow students with him to volunteer at the camp, promising them that they would "be able to act like a kid for a week and have the best time." The following year, Kerbel brought Mike and Eliot to the medical school to recruit newer, younger counselors.
"Tufts has the potential to have students who can work two to three summers and then recruiter younger students to keep that continuity with the camp," Kerbel says.
Though working the camp week into their medical school schedules can be a challenge, many students have used their vacation time or strategically scheduled their clinical work in order to return to the camp.
"Becoming a part of the Camp Miracles and Magic family and being able to watch the campers graduate or grow each summer is what brings counselors back,"says Winnie Szeto (M'09).
"What is special about the camp is the family-feel that you get when you arrive and spend so many hours with the kids and the staff," says Stephanie Daniels (M'09). "You forget that the children have a chronic disease, because they do not behave any differently than children who are not afflicted with the disease do."
Sandy Bower, the camp coordinator, says that Tufts students have made a wonderful addition to the camp's staff, providing unique learning opportunities for the kids.
"There are some who bring in pigs' hearts and they teach the kids how the heart works and where the aortas are," Bower says. "The kids' eyes just light up and you think, these counselors might have just touched one kid out this group that is now thinking they want to become a doctor."
The last night of camp, a "graduation" is held for the older participants, during which counselors speak about each camper. It is in these moments where the bonds that have formed over the week are on display.
"Even the campers who might have a tough exterior and seem like they don't really like camp frequently break down on the last night and tell all the counselors how much they appreciate what the do and how much they love camp," says Derek Richardson (M'09).
When asked about his role in getting Tufts students involved with Camp Miracles and Magic, Kerbel says the most important thing is to insure that the camp stays up and running.
"All I did was introduce what I thought was an excellent resource, which was enthusiastic medical students who are eager to teach," Kerbel says. "A lot of them want to go into pediatrics, so it is a wonderful combination of enthusiastic young adults who just want to give back."
Profile by Kaitlin Melanson, Web Communications.
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