Sma family camp
It all started when…
SMA Family Camp is an annual week-long camp specifically for families affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a degenerative muscle disease similar to ALS that mostly affects children. SMA affects approximately 1 in 11,000 babies, and about 1 in every 50 Americans is a genetic carrier. SMA can affect any race or gender. It is the number one genetic cause of death for infants. People living with SMA have difficulty with things like walking, lifting, and eventually breathing and swallowing. However, SMA does not affect a person’s ability to think, learn, and build relationships with others. Many people living with SMA use motorized wheelchairs and require extensive caregiving, so they and their families have more complicated logistics for travel and vacation.
A group of families joined together to start SMA Family Camp Oregon in 2018 so kids, parents, and friends of all ages can go hiking and kayaking in beautiful places and sit around the campfire together.
At camp they learn from each other about equipment, school accommodations, medical research, and obscure life hacks. Kids and their siblings enjoy the kind of independence and camaraderie they can’t find anywhere else. Family camp is so important because it’s a rare opportunity to meet so many families who really understand what it’s like to be impacted by SMA.
Since 2018, Adventures Without Limits has partnered with SMA Family Camp to host a day of kayaking and canoeing. In 2024, our staff joined for the full week of camp to provide additional support for beach day, march in the glow parade, and even karaoke! We look forward to hosting camp at South Beach State Park again next year. If you feel compelled, donate on this page to support camp in 2025!