Camp About Face, Riley and community celebrates

07/16/2008

INDIANAPOLIS - Camp About Face, one of a the first camps in the country designed for children born with a cleft palate or lip, as well as other more rare anomalies of the face and skull, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Please join camp staff, participants, volunteers and sponsors as Rep. Jon Elrod proclaims July 13-18 "Craniofacial Awareness Week," on behalf of Governor Mitch Daniels.

Camp About Face, ACA Accredited and sponsored by Riley Hospital for Children, is specially designed to benefit youth ages eight to 18 with craniofacial anomalies. Typical camping activities are provided and include swimming, nature projects and campouts supplemented by social work, medical support and educational sessions to help build self-esteem and self-confidence.

Camp also provides special opportunities for the children to develop supportive relationships and long lasting friendships with others who identify with them and can share similar life experiences. Teen campers ages 15-18 are offered opportunities for leadership, team building, off-site camping and group challenges.

Thousands of children are born with craniofacial anomalies, birth defects of the face and skull. The most common of these birth defects are cleft lip and/or palate, which occur in approximately one out of every 700 births.

"This camp plays a critical role for many of our patients with facial anomalies," said Robert J. Havlik, MD, Riley Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Program director and professor of surgery, Indiana University. "It is truly one of the many things that make Riley so special."

Riley has been providing services to patients with facial anomalies since 1933 and is the only hospital in the state of Indiana to achieve Affiliate status with the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. In addition to cleft lips and palates, Riley also provides diagnosis and treatment for Pierre Robin Sequence/Stickler Syndrome, Hemifacial Microsomia (OAV Spectrum), Crouzon/Pfeiffer/Apert Syndromes, facial clefts such as Hypertelorism and Treacher Collins Syndrome and other dental, speech and cranial abnormalities.

Margie Smith-Simmons
Public Relations Coordinator | Clarian Health
317.962.4085 (o)
317.312.4348 (p)
317.962.4533 (f)
www.clarian.org

About Riley Hospital for Children As Indiana's first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children, Riley Hospital for Children, a part of Clarian Health, has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families for 80 years. Each year Riley serves over 160,000 inpatients and outpatients from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Riley Hospital's partnership with Clarian Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make it the only comprehensive clinical resource for Indiana's children and the premiere source for health related information for their parents. From simple care associated with the health and wellness of children and less complex specialty care to the most critically-ill and medically complex cases, Riley Hospital for Children is the leader for pediatric care in the state and the region. In 2004, Clarian became Indiana's first magnet hospital system. Clarian Health Partners, Inc. operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law. Visit www.rileyhospital.org for more information.