Wishes of a child undergoing dialysis after transplant: going to a swimming pool and traveling to Japan

The second story of the '2026 National Kidney Camp for Children and Adolescents,' which involved children undergoing dialysis treatment and their families, has been captured in a video by Seoul National University Hospital TV. According to the video, the camp, which lasted for 3 days and 2 nights, featured a Q&A session where children could ask medical staff directly, food making to learn how to eat healthily, and a time to experience the process of how medicine is made.

In the video, one child listed going to a swimming pool and traveling to Japan as things they want to do if they receive a kidney transplant. The guardian of this family explained that the child began to be ill at the age of four, and because they prioritize safety above all else, they tend not to go on long-distance trips. They said the camp was a time that the entire family had waited for for one year.

During the educational sessions, programs were prepared so that children could express themselves freely with confidence. When asked what their dream was, one child replied that they wanted to be a cartoon artist and a doctor.

A place to meet friends receiving the same treatment

In the video, a camp official explained that the 2026 National Kidney Camp for Children and Adolescents is operated in a multidisciplinary setting, and its purpose is to allow children receiving the same treatment to gather and share their thoughts and experiences. It is a time that allows children to gain strength as they realize they are not the only ones who are sick and that there are friends going through the treatment process together.

Another official said that the facial expressions when arriving at the camp and after the 3 days and 2 nights have passed are truly different. The explanation is that meeting people in the same situation and circumstances provides a lot of comfort through the thought that they are not alone.

Questions exchanged during the parents' meeting

At the same time, parents gathered in one place to share their experiences and information. In response to a question asking whether high blood sugar and triglyceride levels continue for a lifetime, the answer was that after a transplant, balance is well-maintained, so triglyceride issues will almost disappear. The explanation was that there is no need to think that because triglycerides are high now, they will be high after a transplant.

Regarding how a parent should prepare to donate a kidney, exercise was emphasized. The advice was that the entire family should lead a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising and eating plenty of vegetables and fruits. An attending guardian said that many questions they commonly feel in daily life were helpful, and it was a beneficial time as they could ask professors directly.

Making medicine firsthand and dietary control education

In the afternoon, the pharmacy department and the nutrition team stepped in. The pharmacy department prepared lactose and food coloring actually used when making medicine in a pharmacy, allowing the children to make liquid or pill medicines with their own hands. It is said that this program was prepared with the intention of letting them try it, since they have only ever received medicine from a pharmacy and do not know how it is made.

Regarding food, it was introduced that there are many questions about what foods can be eaten and what should not be eaten. In the video, it was explained that since dietary control is such an important part for kidney patients, the time spent with patients and guardians is extremely meaningful.

An attendee who came from the dialysis unit at Severance Hospital said that seeing so many bright children makes them feel good, and added that they want to learn a lot so that they can provide better nursing care to children if such opportunities can be arranged.

The last night and the completion ceremony

On the last night, participants formed a large circle, held hands, and had time to convey what they wanted to say to the person in front of them for one minute. Encouragement such as "Mother, please stay strong" was heard. One attendee, a mother raising a baby, said she shed many tears because she had seen much suffering during dialysis.

Completion certificates were presented to the families who faithfully completed all the processes. One participant said they gained strength from seeing colleagues in the same situation and felt courageous knowing there were many people to ask. There were also impressions that it was meaningful as it was the first trip after surgery, and that it was good to see the child enjoying themselves much more than last year.

A camp official said they often heard that the camp day is the day patients wait for most during the year. At the end of the video, there was also a wish that all the dreams and hopes the children have would be well-achieved. According to the video description, the kidney camp can be participated in by any child with a pediatric kidney disease undergoing dialysis, regardless of the hospital they are receiving treatment at, and it is held together by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation and the Korean Society of Pediatric Nephrology.