Children-With-Specialized-Needs-Spend-Carefree-Day-on-Miami-Beach
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, Tel: 305.673.7575 MEDIA ALERT
Tonya Daniels, E-mail: tonyadaniels@miamibeachfl.gov
Melissa Berthier, E-mail: melissaberthier@miamibeachfl.gov
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2019
Children with Specialized Needs Spend Carefree Day on Miami Beach
– Monday, March 25 at 9 a.m. –
WHO/WHAT: Dozens of children who are ventilator-dependent (children who need
tracheostomy ventilators, C-Pap, BiPap or oxygen to support breathing)
and their families will enjoy a stress-free day on Miami Beach as part of
the Dr. Moises Simpser Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center (VACC)
Camp. The annual visit to the beach is one of several special activities
that create opportunities for recreation and socialization for children who
have medical limitations.
Setting up wheelchair paths over the sandy beach, Miami Beach Fire
Rescue will help facilitate mobility for camp participants. The city will also
deploy its fleet of specialized beach wheelchairs to enable patients to go
into the water comfortably. Special hand-held ventilators will be available
to provide children with the ability to breathe without their devices while in
the water.
The week-long camp has hosted over 250 families in its 31 years, some
of whom have traveled from 27 states and three countries. The
experience is provided at no cost to the families and is supported by
generous donations made to Nicklaus Children’s Health Foundation.
WHEN: Monday, March 25 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive
*Members of the media should meet on the sand at 1 Street
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About VACC Camp
In 1986, the first Ventilation Assisted Children’s Center Camp took place during the summer and
operated in collaboration with SKIP of Florida. Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp gives families a fun
opportunity to socialize with peers and enjoy activities not readily accessible to technology
dependent children. The camp activities promote family growth and development while enhancing
individual self-esteem and social skills. Parents have formal and informal opportunities to network
among themselves. Overnight campers come from throughout the United States. South Florida
families and youngsters from local residential care facilities join in as day campers. For more
information about Dr. Moises Simpser VACC Camp, visit the camp’s website at www.vacccamp.com.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only
licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more
than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 289-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from
1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several
specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017-18 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to
the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated
an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most
prestigious institutional honor. For more information, visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
To request this material in alternate format, sign language interpreter (five-day notice required), information on access for persons with disabilities, and/or any accommodation to review any document or participate in any
city-sponsored proceedings, call 305.604.2489 and select 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then option 6; TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service).