Parent Profile: Danielle Duhon
Danielle Duhon is a neonatal ICU RN who has been to Camp Ozark every year since 2011 to volunteer as a camp nurse. Danielle is the wife of Phil, and mother to three beautiful daughters, Grace, 17, Ellie, 15, and Sophie, 9.
Originally from Whitehouse, TX, the Duhons are now living in Austin, TX. Danielle is in graduate school working toward becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Dell Children’s Hospital has offered her a position when she completes her program.
When and why did you become a Camp Ozark nurse?
I first became a Camp Ozark nurse in 2011. A friend of the Medical Director, Dr. Cecily Torn, told me about the opportunity and the need for a nurse during session 3. It was the hardest and best two weeks ever. 🙂 I have volunteered every summer since then.
What core values or life skills do children learn from attending summer camp?
Camp Ozark teaches children independence, the value of friendship and sportsmanship, and most importantly, the love of Jesus. At Camp Ozark they also learn that God is first, others are second, and to put themselves third. There is also a huge emphasis on fun. Life is meant to be a balance of fun and commitment. Ozark teaches how to balance both to succeed at life.
Explain what you do daily as a camp nurse at Camp Ozark.
The medical staff at Camp Ozark is responsible for working two weeks at a time and keeping over 800 children healthy during each session. From giving camper medications at each meal and nightly, managing diabetic patients, giving breathing treatments, treating wounds, broken bones and minor first aid to handling more severe injuries such as concussions and sutures. Camp nurses roam the camp to be readily available to campers. There are 7-9 nurses depending on the size of the camp session. A physician oversees the registered nurses and handles more emergent cases and prescriptions that may need to be called in to the local pharmacists who assist with medications.
What do you tell a prospective family is the most valuable aspect of sending kids to camp?
My children have made lifelong friendships with their camp cabin mates. My freshman daughter talks about her camp friends all year and has even discussed attending the same out of state colleges with them. As a mom, there is nothing better than knowing she has wonderful, genuine friends that she has spent 14 days of uninterrupted quality time with no TV, no phone and no Internet. Another valuable aspect of camp is the independence that children gain knowing they can do things on their own, with the encouragement of their counselors and camp friends, that they may have never done before. In the six years I have been working the same session, I’ve witnessed shy, timid campers blossom into strong, spiritual leaders among their friends.
What are you currently reading?
My Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Review book. Boring, but true.
What’s the favorite book you have read to your kids?
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado, and The Giving Tree.
When did you know you wanted to be a parent?
When I met my husband and saw how great he was with his nieces and nephews.
Parent gear you can’t live without?
Band-Aids (cheap, easy fix), a big handbag and Goldfish, since snacks cure most ills.
Advice I offer to new parents…
Please don’t helicopter your children. Germs are ok; they don’t need an antibiotic for every illness, and a fever isn’t always a bad thing. Their little brains and bodies are much smarter than you think, so let them work!
Favorite thing to do with kids…
Be outside, preferably on a beach or at the pool.
I hope to teach my kids how to…
Love no matter what, show kindness even when it’s difficult and to do the right thing even if no one notices.
What is your favorite time spent as a family?
We love to spend time at the beach in the summer. We dream of owning a beach house and retiring there someday. However, my girls would pick Camp Ozark over the beach if they had to pick one.
