Dr. Bill Neches
Heart Camp for Kids
Fundraising for UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation
Story
Welcome to the Heart Camp Page
Our goal each year is to raise $100,000 for The Dr. Bill Neches Heart Camp for Kids so that we can provide this valuable healing experience for the body, mind & spirit to over 150 children, teens and young adults living with congenital heart defects (CHD). As our week long camp at YMCA/Camp Kon-O-Kwee, Spencer in Fombell PA continues to grow It takes more and more each year to provide the heart patients of UPMC/Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh this unique opportunity.
Heart Camp is a life changing experience for all who attend. The camp builds self-esteem and hope in our heart warriors giving them the confidence to live a normal life. We encourage all campers to understand their heart conditions so that they can share their story with others. Many of the children that attend camp are an inspiration to others and become role models and mentors to the younger campers. Here are a few quotes from our campers.
A Letter from a Heart Warriors Mom.
“I just needed to one more time tell you thank you for the amazing opportunity of heart camp for our son. It meant so much to him. He recently started to complain about chest pain and stomach pains almost daily to the point it was limiting his daily functioning and he was going to the nurses office at school 2-3 times a week and being sent home at least once a week. We had him tested for many, many things. All his tests came back normal, leading us to believe he has been experiencing a lot of anxiety that he doesn’t know how to put in any other words. He is getting older and with that I think he is getting more and more aware of any differences he has and he doesn’t like it at all. I know he is lucky and without many limitations that other heart patients have and we remind him of that but for him it still has been scary. So this past year has been hard for us as his parents to not be able to fix these things for him and to be able to understand him and his intense fears. So I have been searching for some way to try to help him. I am grateful for doctors who treat the whole patient, because with Dr. Feingold’s help we heard about heart camp. I wanted to tell you what Cam said when he got home, he said “mom, I have a belief? You want to know what it is? I believe nothing bad can come from my sick heart because I had the best time at camp.” I can’t put into words what that means to a mom, that that’s what he got from camp. I have been for a long time now trying to get him to see the blessings his “sick heart” has brought him and not just the trials and troubles. Then it clicked, at heart camp, with meeting other kids like him and being around amazing people. You all are doing amazing things and making big differences you don’t even know.”
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!! ❤
Nicole
Thank you for giving!
Keith McIntire
Heart Camp Director & Children's Hospital’s oldest heart patient followed since birth