Children with cancer head to summer camp

  

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Children battling cancer are taking a break from the hospital this week to enjoy summer camp.

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More than a hundred patients at Texas Children's Hospital boarded buses Sunday afternoon for a week at Camp Periwinkle.

They brought backpacks and stuffed animals for a week filled with swimming, games and a carnival at the camp in Burton, which is about halfway between Houston and Austin.

Camp Periwinkle is a joint effort between BG Group and the Periwinkle Foundation. Organizers say the camp is a place for children with cancer and blood disorders to meet other kids facing similar challenges.

Michelle Tsatsaronis' son peter has Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"It's an outlet to get away from the hospital visits, to get away from all the doctors and all the medicines and have fun and forget about everything," she said.

Patients are allowed to bring their siblings to share the fun with a loved one, and families don't have to pay for the camp. The Periwinkle Foundation holds fundraisers to cover the costs of the trip.

For kids who were unable to leave the hospital for camp, Camp Periwinkle came to them at the hospital last month, giving children a day full of arts, crafts, face painting and more.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer with the Periwinkle Foundation, you can find out how at www.periwinklefoundation.org.

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