PEIBack in 2000, when Anthony Millar was only 14-year-old was diagnosed with type one diabetes. That summer he was able to go to a camp made specifically for kids who have the illness.Many summer camps don’t take kids living with illnesses, like Type 1 diabetesRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Sep 13, 2025 3:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoAnthony Millar, chair of T1D Kids Camps, along with 14-year-old camper Remy Durocher join Wayne Thibodeau on Island Morning to chat about their camping experience this summer. (Richie Bulger/CBC)Anthony Millar was 14 when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That was 25 years ago.In that summer he was diagnosed, he was able to go to a camp specifically for kids with the illness.Now, Millar, who was born and raised in Tyne Valley, is the chair for T1D Kids Camps, a non-profit organization that provides the same service he had when he was younger.Millar said that kids who have diabetes or other illnesses are often turned away from summer camps. This camp gives them an opportunity to enjoy summer along with others who face similar challenges.”It’s the only camp most of these kids can go to, just due to the nature of their illness,” he said. “We have medical staff on site all week to provide these kids this opportunity,” he said.”And … parents have that respite knowing that their kids are safe and their diabetes is managed well during the week of the camp, or they can just enjoy themselves and not worry about their illness.”Millar along with other staff members we’re once campers at this camp, and he said the hope is that more campers will take that step forward to becoming a staff member eventually.Island MorningCamp Phoenix launches fundraising driveA P.E.I. summer camp tailored to providing a fun-filled, safe environment for kids with Type 1 diabetes is launching a big fundraiser. We catch up with Anthony Millar, chair of T1D Kids Camps, and camper Remy Durocher to learn more.”We want to develop these kids to become staff later in life and kinda have that perpetual motion of camper becomes counsellor, counsellor becomes staff member, and they join us to keep that going.”Camp Phoenix is located on the grounds of Camp Seggie, in Rice Point, P.E.I. Camp Dragonfly is located in Greenhill Lake, N.B., which takes place a week after P.E.I.’s camp week.Remy Durocher, a 14-year-old camper. said camps like this are important to have long-lasting friendships, just like how Millar met some “life-long friends” through his time at the camp.”Without [the] diabetes camp, I don’t know if I would have met my friends that I have Type 1 diabetes.”The T1D Kids Camp is a summer camp specially for kids living with diabetes. (Anthony Millar)Remy went to both camps this summer. She said she doesn’t know if she would have learned as much this summer if she didn’t go to camp. She plans to become a camp counsellor in future.T1D Kids Camp offers subsidies for families who may not be able to afford the camp and is now running a fundraiser to help cover the costs.ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College Journalism program and a web writer at CBC P.E.I.With files from Island Morning
Diabetes-friendly summer camp allows kids living with illness to experience camp life
