Who We Serve

Overview

Who We Serve
The Need For a Medical Specialty Camp

There are more than one million children in California with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Our needs assessment revealed more than 17,500 of those children are unable to attend summer camp due to their medical conditions. That is, until The Painted Turtle came along!

The Painted Turtle has provided more than 180,000 camp experiences to children and their families — absolutely free of charge — since 2004.

Each year, we provide more than 3,000 on-site camp experiences to children with serious medical conditions and their family members. We welcome roughly 130 children to each of our 8 overnight, medical condition-specific Summer Sessions, up to 130 campers and family members to each of our 10 Family Weekends, and over 400 guests to both our annual Holiday Gathering and our Spring into Camp event.

Additionally, we serve 3,500 campers annually through our in-hospital program, The Painted Turtle Outpost. Outpost brings the camp experience into 22 hospital sites, medical centers, and clinics throughout California, as well as to community events.

Overview

Find a Session by Medical Condition

In order to be considered for Camp, each child must meet the below criteria and have one of the medical conditions listed below. 

Requirements and Eligibility

  • Age Requirements:
    • Family Weekend: Between the ages of 6-17
    • Summer Camp: Between the ages of 7-16
    • Have a minimum developmental age of 5 years
  • Be able to function and participate in a group setting
  • Able to communicate needs independently
  • Can be without family members for a limited period of time (overnight retreats and family weekends) or the duration of the camp session (summer camp)

Please be advised that no child is guaranteed to be accepted to camp. Applications are reviewed and acceptance is based upon health care needs, space, and staffing ratios..

Search for Medical Conditions by Program Type 

Family Weekend

15 Q 24 Micro-deletion Syndrome

22q Deletion Syndrome

Adrenal Insufficiency

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)

Alport Syndrome

Apert Syndrome

Ataxia

Cerebral Palsy

Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction

Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Craniofacial Differences

Crohn’s Disease

Cystic Fibrosis

Dialysis: Peritoneal

Eosonophillic Esophagitis

Epilepsy

Fanconi Anemia

General Nephrology-decreased kidney function

Kabuki Syndrome

Kidney Disease

Limb deficiency

Liver Disease-noncommunicable

Liver Transplant

Mitochondrial disease

Myopathies

Noonan Syndrome

Neuromuscular Diseases

Paraplegia

PKU

Primary Immunodeficiency

Pulmonary Hypertension

Rare Genetic Conditions

SCID

Short Gut Syndrome

Small Bowel Transplant

Spina Bifida

TPN Dependent

Tube Feeding Dependent

Ulcerative Colitis

Ventilator Dependent

Summer Sessions

15 Q 24 Micro-deletion Syndrome

22q Deletion Syndrome

Adrenal Insufficiency

Achondroplasia

Alport Syndrome

Apert Syndrome

Aplastic anemia

Ataxia

Cerebral Palsy

Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction

Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Craniofacial Differences

Crohn’s Disease

Cystic Fibrosis

Dialysis: Peritoneal

Diamond-Blackfan anemia

Eosonophillic Esophagitis

Epilepsy

Factor Deficiency in Females

General Nephrology-decreased kidney function

Hemophilia

Hemophilia/von Willebrand Disease

Kabuki Syndrome

Kidney Disease

Limb deficiency

Liver Disease-noncommunicable

Liver Transplant

Mitochondrial disease

MPS

Mucopolysaccaridosis

Muscular Dystrophy

Myopathies

Noonan Syndrome

Neuromuscular Diseases

Paraplegia

PKU

Primary Immunodeficiency

Pulmonary Hypertension

Rare Genetic Conditions

Rare Genetic Platelet Disorders

SCID

Short Gut Syndrome

Skeletal Dysplasia

Small Bowel Transplant

Spina Bifida

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia

Thalassemia

TPN Dependent

Tube Feeding Dependent

Ulcerative Colitis

Search for Programs by Medical Condition

Overview

Campers

Boy enjoying Silly Olympics

When campers come through the gates at The Painted Turtle, they enter a world where fun and laughter are part of the remedy. Upon their arrival, campers and their families are greeted by The Painted Turtle’s exceptional staff. Volunteers and staff are both experienced working with children and committed to the well-being and care of our campers.

Overview

Families

Dad and daughter enjoying a Family Weekend.

When a child comes to The Painted Turtle, it impacts the entire family. As the guardian of a child with a serious medical condition, we understand that you might be searching for more information about The Painted Turtle. We hope that you will use this section as a starting place for your exploration and research.