'I thought I was the only one': Camp helps Sask. kids with heart conditions stay active

Chloe Moore, 10, says her classmates at school don't always understand why she gets tired faster than they do when playing sports.

"Whenever I say 'surgery,' they're like, 'Ah it's not a big deal ... you're just going to go to sleep and then wake up with a scar,'" said Moore. 

But "it's scary," she said, to think that a doctor might "cut something wrong."

Moore, who has a rare congenital heart condition called truncus arteriosus, is one of 28 children from across the province attending the University of Saskatchewan's CHAMPS — the Children's Healthy Heart Camp in Saskatchewan — in Saskatoon this week. 

The camp's goal is to help give children with congenital heart defects, including some who have had heart transplants, the knowledge and confidence to stay active. 

Marta Erlandson, a professor in the university's college of kinesiology, said the barriers to staying active after heart surgery are often not physical.

"The kids who've had significant medical challenges, especially when they were very young … we bring them here and we teach them, for example, to learn that physical activity is good for them," said Erlandson, "and to learn how to cope with maybe some of their anxiety and nervousness around being active."

The children have sessions with a nutritionist and a children's clinical psychologist, among others.

Erlandson said the education helps improve their confidence and gives them the knowledge to reassure school teachers who are sometimes worried about students with heart conditions doing physical activity. 

The camp also provides education for parents who might be concerned about their children's safety when exercising. 

Brasen Sim, 13, had surgery when he was just eight weeks old due to pulmonary insufficiency that stopped his blood from pumping normally. 

He took a break from a fast-paced round of a game called "Mission Impossible" on Thursday to explain why he's been going to the camp since it started five years ago. 

"This camp is especially special because you get to learn about all these kids with heart conditions," said Sim. 

"I thought I was the only one in Saskatchewan that had a heart condition and when I first came to the camp ... there were 20-30 people, and I was honestly really happy, because I'm not the only one."

He said he's now sharing the confidence he has gained through the camp by mentoring younger children.