Journey with the Little Prince

For the second time, the camp took place in the picturesque countryside of the Vysočina region, at the Zubří Recreation Centre, which offers suitable facilities for haemophilia stays. Unlike last year, we spent a full fourteen days here this time. The weather favoured the campers almost the entire time, with only a few exceptions when it rained. On hot days, we could cool off in a nearby pond or simply relax under the spreading baobabs in the middle of the camp.

The goal of the camp-wide game was to create a new planet where the Little Prince could move to. Four teams of campers competed for victory — Suns, Lamplighters, Pilots, and Thorns. With considerable effort, all campers completed tasks within the individual stage games to earn the necessary piece of the future planet and gradually assemble it. In the heat of the game, even the leaders themselves often became children again and very convincingly immersed themselves in their roles. The fox or the pilot regularly brought messages from the Little Prince to the children, and they also encountered other characters from the book: the businessman, the king, the lamplighter, the drunkard, the scientist, and the Earth. The most successful builders of the new planet turned out to be the Lamplighters, but all the children earned their reward for effort, mutual help in completing various tasks, and dedication throughout the camp stay.

As has become tradition, rehabilitation was once again part of the programme this year. Four physiotherapists took charge of the daily morning individual or group exercise sessions. Additionally, swimming pool exercises took place a total of four times at the indoor pool in nearby Bystřice. Under the supervision of doctors and especially the beloved nurses, daily prophylaxis was also administered. Although self-application of the product requires great courage, even the youngest camp participants faced this challenge head-on and managed to administer the medication themselves. For this, they of course deserve big praise and admiration once again.

The programme also included time for regular creative activities. This year we tried several arts and crafts techniques. We wove with rattan, made flowers using the twist art technique, created a lamb and a box for it, wire-crafted lanterns, and using stencils and coloured sprays made a scarf in the style of the Little Prince. Each camper also decorated a photo frame according to their imagination, which will remind them of this year's summer haemophilia camp.

We did not just stay in the camp but also went on a trip to nearby Tišnov, where a simple competition awaited us to start. The children had the task of finding Müller House, the seat of the Tišnov Town Museum, where the successful ones received a coloured mark and a popcorn voucher. This allowed the children to enhance their evening screening of the animated film Shaun the Sheep at the Svratka cinema in Tišnov, which was reserved exclusively for us that evening.

The end of the camp was dedicated to wishes that we, together with the Little Prince, let fly into the universe on wishing lanterns. And what did most of them say? It is quite simple: "Next year we all want to meet again and experience at least 14 days of fun!" Therefore, all that remains is to thank everyone who contributed in any way to this year's summer haemophilia camp. Above all, the medical staff, leaders, pharmaceutical companies, sponsors, recreation centre staff, and also the Czech Hemophilia Society. Last but not least, a big thank you goes to the children, without whom neither the camp nor the journey with the Little Prince could have taken place. For future editions of haemophilia camps and other stays and events, I would like to wish that there will always be those who, with dedication, conviction, and overall enthusiasm, will prepare events that everyone will fondly remember.

Romana Jakešová