Camp Breathe Ezzzze Gets New Home


Tupelo, MS – Children with asthma will have a chance to swim, bounce and learn at Camp Breathe Ezzzze.

The camp, organized annually by North Mississippi Medical Center, is getting a makeover for 2016. Instead of an overnight adventure at Tishomingo State Park, this year’s camp will feature a power-packed day camp, running from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 1-3 at HealthWorks! children’s health education center in Tupelo.

“We hope we’ll be able to reach kids who haven’t been able to come before,” said Amanda Foster, pediatrics nurse manager at NMMC Women’s Hospital. “In the past, we’ve had some children who were too sick to stay overnight.”

The camp, open to children with asthma ages 5-12, will mix up fun and asthma know-how. The campers will have daily field trips, including excursions to the Tupelo Aquatics Center and the House of Bounce in Saltillo. It will finish with an optional lock-in on June 3.

“HealthWorks! has a lot of fun activities planned,” Ashley Oakes, NMMC pediatrics unit coordinator.

The camp will continue to be medically supervised by nurses and respiratory therapists. Tupelo allergists Drs. Matt Oswalt and Karen Maltby will join in on the fun.

“Our respiratory therapists are great about working with them,” Oakes said. “They will pretreat before activities” helping children avoid attacks and learning how to better manage their asthma.

The camp is sponsored by NMMC, American Lung Association of Mississippi and the United Way. Campers get a special T-shirt each day.

For information, visit nmhs.net/camp_breathe_ezzzze.php.