9-year friendship formed out of diabetes camp
Two young men, who once thought they were alone in their illnesses, formed a special friendship at a very special camp.
Over 80 kids living with Type 1 Diabetes have come this week to D-Camp in Christopher Lake. The camp welcomes young people from all over the province to camp for six days without experiencing the stigma of their disease.
Roughly nine years ago, Elijah Stempien and George Ren met while playing cards. Ren said the two became friends when he saw another camper picking on Stempien and stood up for him. They’ve shared a room at D-Camp every year since 2008, and because they are both from Saskatoon, they stay in contact outside of the camp. Now, they are part of the Leadership Development Team together.
Both said they were the only ones diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in their schools.