Why are we doing this?:

Our eldest son was diagnosed with Perthes disease in March 2020, as lockdown struck.  We soon discovered how little is known about this disease and how much it starter to affect him.  Going from a football mad little boy to not being able to do any sport, limping around and not being able to sleep at night with the pain.

We were fortunate enough to use the StepIn Camps in 2022 and wow what an amazing experience.  To be able to share experiences and findings with other families, while children could interact with others their age going through exactly the same thing.  We even had specialists present during the weekend we could talk to as well.  Nothing was too much trouble and the facilities and staff are more than able to cater for a wide array of needs.  It was a huge benefit.

About the camps:

The aims of the camps are to offer families the opportunities to share stories and experiences, support one another, learn from each other, and develop long-term friendships at these camps. We also invite and encourage siblings to gather a sense of belonging too, reinforcing that they are not alone and encouraging them to build their own self-esteem and kinships. We want the camps to enable a child with lower limb conditions to learn, achieve and conquer limiting or destructive thoughts through challenges such as adventurous outdoor activities which the centre facilitates. At the camps we also offer educational groups and 1-1 sessions for parents, siblings and the child affected with the condition in the hope that we Stepin and embrace one anothers differences; but also find those similarities that unite us too.