HISTORY
The Madden Open Hearts Camp was established in 1960 through the generosity of the late Edward J. Madden, one of the first open heart surgery patients, and his wife Leone.

The Maddens knew the challenges involved, especially for children, in (re)learning to exercise and play freely after heart surgery. Thankful for the renewed health that Mr. Madden attained through his operation, the Maddens decided that their country home and surrounding farmland should become a place where young heart patients could enjoy nature, sports, and recreation.

THE MADDEN OPEN HEARTS CAMP TODAY
In 2008, the Madden Open Hearts Camp continues to exemplify the Maddens' spirit of generosity and their dedication to providing this special group of children with the most affirming summer camp experience possible.

Building on over 45 years of experience in nurturing children who have overcome open heart surgery or a heart transplant, the Madden Open Hearts Camp is a very special place for very special kids! Today, with a newly expanded program and facility, and an energetic, caring and committed leadership team, the Madden Open Hearts Camp is stronger than ever.

Situated on 300 acres of rolling hills in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts, the Madden Open Hearts Camp is a summer retreat where children can come together and connect as they enjoy recreational, athletic, artistic, and cultural activities. All camp activities are designed to meet the social and developmental needs of campers, and are led and supervised by experienced professionals and trained staff.

The Madden Open Hearts Camp provides children with a unique opportunity to build special friendships with other children who have had similar experiences related to their shared medical histories. For many of the children who attend the Madden Open Hearts Camp, it is their first experience of feeling like 'one of the group,' of not feeling 'different,' or not feeling afraid of being excluded or teased by other children because of their heart condition. The Madden Open Hearts Camp offers a unique combination of providing children with safe and supportive opportunities to play, share, trust and learn new skills. This is what makes summers at the Madden Open Hearts Camp a truly special and memorable experience for campers, parents, and camp staff alike.

The program at the Madden Open Hearts Camp has matured over the years to reflect the advancement of medical science and the growing expertise in caring for children with serious cardiac conditions. Today's camp program has been designed in consultation with medical professionals in the field of pediatric cardiology and is specifically tailored to the special needs of children who have recovered from open heart surgery or a heart transplant. At the Madden Open Hearts Camp all children can fully participate in the camp program, including those children who previously may have been unable to enjoy sports and other activities that most children take for granted. Activities are specifically designed to be inclusive, while being sensitive to differing abilities.

PHILOSOPHY
The Madden Open Hearts Camp is a small, caring and supportive community. The camp environment aims to bring out the best in each camper and is designed to foster friendships, learning, self-confidence, independence, mutual respect and trust. All children are encouraged to surpass their own expectations of themselves. While encouraging 'challenge by choice,' the Madden Open Hearts Camp program and the camp staff are sensitive to the perceived and actual constraints in each child's physical abilities, and to their individual levels of confidence. The small number of children (15-20+ depending on the session) enables counselors to focus on each camper, and enables special bonds among campers and between campers and counselors.

OUR CAMPERS
Girls and boys, ages 8-16, who have had open heart surgery or a heart transplant, and have fully recovered from that surgery, can attend the Madden Open Hearts Camp. All campers are required to have a physical examination by their physician as well as a written assessment by their cardiologist in the months before camp. A thorough set of health forms completed and signed by both physician and parent/guardian must be sent to camp prior to the camper's arrival in order to ensure the health and well being of all children at camp. This policy is intended to ensure that the Madden Open Hearts Camp's medical staff have up to date information about each child's individual needs. The goal is for campers to receive the best care possible while at camp.

While the majority of campers come from the Northeastern United States, the Madden Open Hearts Camp is open to children from across the country and beyond. We are delighted to have had many campers from Canada over the past several years.