But for Dunedin brothers Blake (14) and Campbell (11) MacDade, the thought of attending the inaugural Crohn's and Colitis New Zealand Charitable Trust Children and Teen's Camp in Auckland later this month has left them champing at the bit.
They will be among about 50 young people with the inflammatory bowel disease from across the country who will attend the one-week summer camp (January 25-30) at Auckland's YMCA Camp Adair.
The camp aims to help 10 to 19-year-olds with Crohn's or colitis, build confidence, independence, self-esteem, resilience and empowerment in a safe, supportive, patient specific, therapeutic peer group environment, resulting in an enhanced knowledge of their condition, self and peers, and the development of mutual support networks.
The boys' mother, Sheryl MacDade, said neither Blake nor Campbell had flown before, so it was ''a really big deal'' for them.
She said Crohn's was ''a reasonably isolating type of disease'' because no-one wanted to talk about their bowels. So it was good the boys would make new friends, with whom they could share their challenges.
''It will be great for them to do some adventure stuff with other kids who have the same disease, because they don't know any other kids [outside their family] with Crohn's.''
The boys' 7-year-old brothers, Hunter and Tom, also have the disease.
The exact cause of Crohn's disease remains unknown. A number of factors, such as heredity and a malfunctioning immune system, are believed to play a role in its development.
New Zealand has the world's highest incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the MacDade brothers are among 20,000 New Zealanders living with the disease.
''For us, because we have four kids with Crohn's disease, it's been quite debilitating for our family. It's had quite a profound effect on us,'' Mrs MacDade said.
''Essentially, they have lots of ulcers in their bowel, lots of pain, lots of nausea and they are all on immune-suppressant drugs which have lots of side effects as well.
''There is probably never really any one time when all four are well.''
However, the family supported each other, and shared a family mantra: ''There is life after Crohn's''.
''We have this most amazing attitude. We just get on with it. It is what it is.''
Crohn's and Colitis New Zealand Charitable Trust chairman Brian Poole said the trust worked with a limited budget, but a $30,000 grant from Jetstar had made it possible to establish the camp.
Crohn's disease
A type of inflammatory bowel disease affecting any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fever and weight loss.
Colitis
An inflammation of the colon.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, bloody diarrhoea, mucus in the stool, cramping, urgency and bloating.
