This year we hosted our ninth annual Parent and Caregiver's Seminar. The decision to separate it from our regular camp activities and condense it into a single day was made by our camp committee for several reasons.

This move not only streamlined costs for our organisation, but allowed us to extend the invitation beyond just parents of camp attendees.

This year's seminar welcomed a diverse group of twenty-three parents and caregivers, with only two having participated in previous events.

The day commenced with an informative overview of IBD, delivered by Professor Andrew Day from Christchurch. Following this, Dr Ashwin Bhana, paediatric gastroenterologist from Wellington delved into the treatments for IBD, covering both old and new approaches. After a morning break with tea, coffee and scones, Stephanie Brown, Registered specialist gastro Dietitian from Christchurch, provided valuable insights into the role of diet and nutrition. Kerry Dellabarca, the new paediatric IBD Nurse from Wellington Children’s Hospital, followed with a comprehensive discussion on the role of the IBD nurse specialist and discussed the transition process of teens moving from paediatric to adult services.

A lunch break fostered networking and engaging conversations among attendees.

Following lunch, we watched a video on chronic pain in IBD, presented by Professor Ewan St. John Smith, and engaged in a meditation session led by Arleigh Stein, R.N.

The afternoon featured guest speakers Charlie and Angela Whitmarsh, a Camp Purple camper and her mum, who discussed the impact the camp has had on their lives. We were also honoured to have Adrian Douglas from the Freemasons, major sponsors of Camp Purple, who shared a little about Freemasonary and why they choose to be a major supporter of Camp Purple.

A dinner provided a chance for parents to talk and network. It also provided an opportunity for Dr Richard Stein, Chair of CCNZ, to discuss CCNZ's role and the support we can provide to patients, whanau and friends.

The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with valuable suggestions for improving the seminar and potential topics for future seminars.

• All respondents expressed a preference for the event to be face-to-face, rather than in a virtual format.
• All agreed they would recommend the Parent & Caregiver’s seminar to other parents, and all agreed the seminar was worthwhile.
• 92% felt the seminar will help them deal with their child’s IBD.

“Thank you so much for all you do even over and above camp!! This seminar was so helpful, encouraging and inspiring.”

“Thanks for the big effort to get this happening, we fully appreciate that there is a lot of support for us as a family and our daughter if we need it, as well as a team working on making life better for those that have IBD.”

“Just a huge thank you to everyone involved, I found this weekend a better experience than what I had hoped for. Even throughout this week processing the information and remembering what I learned has been very valuable.”

With comments like these, we anticipate another great Parent and Caregiver’s seminar in 2024 which will be held in Auckland.

We appreciate the support and dedication of our team who made this event happen: Professor Andrew Day, Dr Richard Stein, Claire Weatherford, Belinda Brown and Nicola Sweeney.

We’d also like to thank our generous sponsors of the event: Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust and Pelorus Trust.