This month will mark the first time Tsawwassen teen Christina Coburn will be heading to an overnight summer camp away from her family.
"I'm really excited, I'm not nervous at all," said Coburn, 14.
She'll be attending the week-long Camp Got2Go, which is put on by Crohn's and Colitis Canada with support from Janssen Inc., in Bragg Creek, Alberta. She leaves Sunday.
She was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was 10.
When she was first diagnosed she wasn't able to do a lot of activities, was feeling really tired, had to go to the bathroom a lot and her stomach hurt quite a bit, she said.
Coburn started a special diet (no dairy, sugar, wheat and starch) in January, 2014, which has helped a lot, she explained.
The upcoming camp will include lots of fun activities, she said. Some examples are a rope course, climbing walls, swimming, river rafting, volleyball and archery, she said.
Her father Graham said that in addition to a positive camp experience, Christina will also get to spend time with other teens who suffer from Crohn's or colitis.
The Crohn's and Colitis Canada website notes that symptoms of Crohn's, which inflames the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, often include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and lack of energy.
