A Place to Be a Kid: Why Diabetes Camp Matters

For a child living with Type 1 diabetes, everyday life comes with responsibilities most kids never think about. There are glucose levels to check, meals to consider, insulin to manage and a constant awareness that diabetes never takes a day off.

For parents, there’s another challenge: finding the balance between keeping their child safe and allowing them to simply be a kid.

That’s why medically staffed diabetes camps, like the one supported by Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation donors, mean so much.

For 10-year-old Gabriel “Gabe” Bell, camp is a place where he can meet other kids who understand what it’s like to live with Type 1 diabetes.

“My favorite thing about camp is that you get to meet other people,” Gabe said. “You get to do activities and bond with other people while you’re having fun.”

At camp, there are challenge courses, swimming, dancing, arts and crafts, outdoor adventures and plenty of opportunities to make new friends. But for Gabe, there’s something even more important: the chance to be around other children who are on the same journey.

Diabetes Changes Life Forever

Gabe was diagnosed about two years ago, in the middle of the school year. His mom, Gloria, describes the experience as life-changing.

“When I say life-changing or life-altering, I mean literally, it comes down to having to rearrange your entire life,” she said. “Your child cannot live without insulin.”

Parents of children with Type 1 diabetes are often up multiple times a night. If a child’s sugar is low, parents are waking the child up to drink juice; if it’s high, they’re giving shots of insulin.

Allowing children to sleep at a friend’s house or go to an overnight camp can be a scary thought. Without careful monitoring, a child’s blood sugar level can become life-threatening.

That reality changes the way a parent sees almost everything. Gloria had to learn not only how to manage diabetes for Gabe, but how to help him understand it and educate others who care for him.

“You try not to limit them too much, but you still have to be mindful,” she said.

Camp Provides Fun, Peace of Mind

As a parent, Gloria struggled with the thought of being separated from her son, but she knew camp would give Gabe something she and his family couldn’t provide.

“I can understand where he’s coming from, but I’m not living it,” she said. “Him being able to connect with other people that are going through the same journey was really important to me. He can see the similarities and differences of what each one goes through and not feel different.”

That sense of belonging can be powerful for a child navigating a condition that can sometimes make them feel different from their peers. At camp, diabetes is part of the experience, but it doesn’t have to be the focus.

Gabe can swim, explore, dance, make friends and have fun alongside other kids who understand why he has to stop and check his numbers.

For Gloria, knowing he has that community brings its own kind of relief.

Send a Kid to Camp!

Your support of Tee Off for Tots (TOFT) and The Proctor Endowment for Children with Diabetes makes the Florida Diabetes Camp experience possible for 14 children like Gabe each year. Thanks to generous donors, camp scholarships are available for families already navigating the day-to-day costs and challenges of Type 1 diabetes.

TOFT and the Proctor Dealerships have supported Type 1 diabetes families for more than 30 years. You can help by participating in the TOFT car raffle or by supporting the TOFT Golf Tournament.

All proceeds provide funding for early detection, education and treatment programs and help children as young as age 2 and their families cope with the medical and emotional challenges of Type 1 diabetes.

Purchase a raffle ticket for your chance to win a new, 2026 Acura MDX or register to play golf.

For more information about Tee Off for Tots and how you can give more kids the chance to connect, explore and simply be kids, visit TMH.ORG/TOFT.