John finds his independence at Camp

Meet John… he is nine years old and lives with Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy. In April this year, John attended MDNSW’s Adventure Camp on a scholarship, meaning all his expenses were covered by the income received from our donor community.

This was John’s first time to ever attend Camp and it was also the first time he has ever left his family, in particular his mother Effie.

“I think I was more anxious about John going to Camp than he was,” Effie said.

“I knew that he would enjoy it, but I was worried how he would go being away from me for four days, especially getting to sleep at night.

“The Adventure Camp experience ended up being such a positive opportunity for John to develop independence and this was something I really wanted for him.

“Not only did he make new friends and enjoy new experiences like playing in the sand at the beach and abseiling, but he also developed new independent skills that he is still doing at home now like brushing his teeth every day and getting himself dressed. He’s more confident and we both understand that things won’t fall apart if I’m not around.

“John can’t wait to go back to Camp next year and I am so grateful to the donors of MDNSW for making this life-changing experience for him possible,” Effie said.

About Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy: It is a condition that particularly affects the muscles supporting the skeleton, hands, feet, heart, eyes and can result in breathing difficulties, digestive problems and cognitive issues. There is no current cure for Myotonic Dystrophy.