While I am not personally involved in Camp Twitch and Shout I am a huge supporter. I know teens who have been campers, adults who have volunteered and parents who have sent their children. All have such great things to say about the camp I wish every child with TS could have the camp experience.
The camp depends on donations for it’s existence so I am passing this on in hopes that others will donate and share this post so that others will see it and donate and share. Many people doing their small part to help out will add up. 100x$100=$10,000 let’s help Camp Twitch and Shout beat that goal!!!
CAMP TWITCH AND SHOUT
2462 Jett Ferry Road Suite 400-156
Dunwoody, GA 30338
(706) 248-9328 phone
(404) 506-9547 fax
http://camptwitchandshout.org/
camptwitchandshout@gmail.com
Here’s a narrative about the camp from its president:
Summer camp. It conjures up happy memories of campfires, s’mores, and outdoor adventures. Camp Twitch and Shout provides this experience for children whose lives are impacted by a disorder that can make participating in a typical childhood activity like camp difficult or impossible.
Camp Twitch and Shout is made for children with Tourette syndrome…a place where they are understood, accepted, and have the opportunity to just be kid without having to explain or hide their disorder. Camp Twitch and Shout is a camp experience like none other for children 7-16, with a leadership training program for 17 & 18 year olds who are diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by physical tics such as eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging, and facial grimacing, and vocal tics like throat clearing, sniffing, and tongue clicking. According to the CDC, 3 of every 1,000 children ages 6 to 17 have been diagnosed with this disorder. Other studies have estimated that the prevalence is actually about 6 of every 1,000. It is not something they outgrow. Symptoms wax and wane, often worsening in adolescence. Many
children experience isolation, debilitating physical conditions, and despair.
Camp Twitch and Shout is a partner of Camp Twin Lakes.
This summer will be the 6th summer camp program at their Will-A-Way site in Winder, Georgia. Camp has grown from 50 campers in 2009 to 158 campers and 75 volunteers in 2013. Our campers and volunteers came from over 31 different states and 2 countries. For many of these children, it is the first time they have been away from home; the first time they made a friend.
One camper described Camp as “magical”. Another camper said, “ no one stares, laughs or makes fun of me. I get to be normal”. One other camper said, “I wake up every morning knowing that it’s one day closer to camp”. As a nonprofit, we depend on donations to help keeping tuition reasonable, provide scholarships to those in need, as well as excellent programming and leadership.
With your help, we can continue to provide a camp experience for these children. Your donation will help support our camper scholarships, as well as our amazing volunteer program. This holiday season please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Camp Twitch and Shout, a program of the Tourette Information Center and Support of Georgia.
Sincerely,
Patricia Kardon, RN, BS
President of TICS of Georgia
