Shortage of medical volunteers means children living with cancer miss out

Camp Quality, Australia’s major children’s cancer charity, is experiencing a severe shortage of medical volunteers. This leads to many children living with cancer missing out on essential support services that they offer.

Camp Quality camps provide children living with cancer and their families, with an essential break from hospital, and the stress and intensity of the illness. At these camps the children, their families and volunteers may require general first aid, while some of the children with cancer may require some ongoing treatment to be administered. Medical volunteers are necessary to ensure that these children can attend camps while still receiving treatment.

Tegan Davies, Camp Quality’s Volunteer Advisor said: “The medical volunteers are crucial for ensuring that our Camp Quality children and families get the much needed break that they deserve. Without them, children that are still undergoing treatment miss out on camps that help boost their confidence and self esteem, and teach them about the important of optimism and resilience. Of course, they also get to have fun and experience life outside the hospital.”

Helena Japundza, a volunteer since 2011 has said: “Being a medical volunteer for Camp Quality comes with a lot of responsibility, but you learn to embrace the fun times and use the skills you have to keep kids healthy and happy. It’s an extremely rewarding experience to help bring smiles to the faces of kids and families who have been living with such a terrible illness. It really shows you how laughter is the best medicine.”

Medical volunteers at Camp Quality camps must be one of the following: Enrolled endorsed nurse, registered nurse, qualified paramedic, or medical doctor. If you can help, or you know someone who can, sign up to be a medical volunteer by visiting www.campquality.org.au/volunteer or call 1300 662 267.

(Source: Camp Quality)