LLUCH patient Adamaris Camacho, 4, of San Bernardino enjoyed her camp experience with The Painted Turtle Outpost while painting with Amanda Willms.

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) patients were treated to a day at camp without even leaving the hospital, thanks to The Painted Turtle Outpost, on Thursday, June 7.

Typically a year-round, residential camp located in Lake Hughes, The Painted Turtle allows children with serious medical conditions and their families to reclaim the joys of just being a kid.

The Painted Turtle Outpost brings the creative camp environment to kids in who are hospitalized throughout California.

“We take the magic and fun of what we do at our camp-site to kids who can’t physically come to our camps,” said Kiley Wolff from The Painted Turtle. “This gives them a chance to enter into a creative 'camp' environment that is inclusive, supportive, and challenging.”

The Outpost visited LLUCH, bringing various camp-themed arts, crafts and games to patients in the Stater Bros. Activity Center.

Adamaris Camacho, 4, of San Bernardino, enjoyed painting with her mom and went “fishing” with event volunteers, 5-year-old Nathan Celis of Murrieta got a tutorial in kid-safe, indoor archery.

Activity bags were sent up to the rooms of patients who were not able to come down to the event.