Camp Open Arms Focuses On Giving Kids Courage, Determination
MONKTON, Md. (WJZ) -- It's a summer day camp like no other and it's in Baltimore County.
Camp Open Arms is about courage and determination. It was opened for children with limb differences.
University of Maryland pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joshua Abzug came up with the idea.
"Besides a physical impairment a child may have, there's also an emotional side. These kids typically are born this way or had an injury early in their life. The emotional side can lead to bullying or being asked a lot of questions," Dr. Abzug said.
The camp is in its fourth year on the grounds of Camp Running Bear in Monkton, Md.
"We have kickball. We have a ropes course. Earlier in the week, we had a cooking class. So we are incorporating some life skills for these children as well," Dr. Abzug added.
About 30 children are attending the free one-week camp this summer. They're from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
"My daughter is actually loving it. It's really opening her eyes to see that she's not the only one that was born differently," said Tyka Hill, whose daughter Leah is attending the camp.
Some campers are returning for a second time.
"I enjoy it," said 8-year-old Maya Gareri, a returning camper. "We do a lot of arts and crafts. I made a lot of friends at camp from last year and it's nice to see them again."
Dr Abzug shuts down his practice for the week so he and his staffers can be at the camp.
"While I can cure or treat or make some of these children better with surgical intervention or therapy and those types of things, there's nothing more enjoyable from a physician's standpoint than to see these kids smiling and living their day-to-day life and not being afraid and not being upset," said Dr. Abzug.
It costs about $75,000 to operate Camp Open Arms, and it's completely funded by donations.
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