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Danny and Callum McGuigan tell us about their experience at the Barretstown Camp that was organised for a group of 15 children with Haemophilia, in April 2006.

Callum McGuigan

Callum, aged 11, from England, who has severe haemophilia, tells us about the weekend he and his family spent at Barretstown…

Day 1:

When we got to Barretstown we played basketball. Before dinner we went back to the cottage and met a family from Scotland who shared the cottage with us. I talked to Bilal who was the same age as me and his brother Kazim. They both had haemophilia like me. After dinner we watched a show. At one point everyone in my cottage dressed me up as a space alien. There were also games involving apples and yoghurt. I had to team up with Kingsley one of the volunteers and nurses. He put his hands behind his back and I had to feed him yoghurt. I got him covered in yoghurt!!!!!! After the show the mums and dads went off to the castle and the caras (Irish word for friend) took us back to the cottage to play board games.

Day 2:

The next day we got up early before breakfast and went to archery. I was better than my dad, he aimed at the bull’s eye but I was trying for the sheep in the field behind. After breakfast, we all got split up into our age groups. We all went to canoeing, horse riding, arts and crafts and also went to this climbing activity. At tea time we had a party and the parents had a special steak dinner. The mums and dads also went to the pub and us kids went back to the cottages with our caras for more games. I wish we were still there because there was better weather and it was GREAT! I met some really nice people. It was also good to meet other boys like me. I wish I could say thank you to everyone who was there.

Danny McGuigan

Callum’s Dad, Danny McGuigan, from Scotland, tells us what he thought:

My wife Lorraine, daughter Kerry (aged 13), son Daniel (aged 11) and myself, arrived at Dublin Airport at around 4.30 on the Friday afternoon. A very friendly member of the Barretstown staff who immediately made us feel welcome and at ease greeted us, and we were shown to our coach. We arrived just after 5.30pm in the beautiful grounds of the Barretstown site. As our coach made its way past the lake to the right, along the gravel road, we entered the coachyard where all the staff were waiting to greet us on our arrival.

As we waited for our luggage, two of the many volunteer staff introduced themselves to us and then proceeded to call us all by our first names. They had obviously taken the time to find out about us before we even arrived. Ryan and Ruth - the two ‘caras’ (which means ‘friend’ in Gaelic), both had given up their spare time to help out at this weekend and I must say they were the highlight of the weekend for us. Their friendly nature and professional manner made us feel at ease in leaving our two children with them, who both thought that they were ‘really cool’.

The food was excellent and of a very high quality with lots of choice, and the entertainment was really funny and exciting and directed at all ages. The activities included canoeing, arts and crafts, music and drama, archery, horse riding and also a high wire climbing centre. It was such a great feeling to watch Daniel meet and make friends with other boys with haemophilia, and for him to compare stories on injured joints etc. Daniel really needed this weekend as did my wife, daughter Kerry and I and it was great respite for us all. To sum up, I have to say that the staff group at Barretstown are truly remarkable, and the work that these people do and the difference that they make to people’s lives should be commended.