Special Camp for Kids with Diabetes

(NBC) -- Diabetic kids who have to constantly monitor their condition and medicate, often find themselves dealing with insecurity.

But there is a summer camp in Texas where no one feels like they're on the outside looking in.

Like all summer camps, this one in Fort Worth is full of kids doing all kinds of things.

Arts and crafts, rock climbing, juggling and more.

But if you were to look closely, you'd see many of the campers wear insulin pumps and they take breaks to prick their fingers.

But here, they don't feel uncomfortable.

"When they're like, 'what is that? What is that?' every time I check my blood sugar," said camper Samantha Welch.

These children have diabetes and most wanted to meet others with the same challenges.

"Some people in my school think I'm weird because I have diabetes," said camper Christian Campbell.

"I wanted to meet other kids with diabetes so I might know about them and stuff and how they got diagnosed," camper Ryanne Johnson said.

Camp aurora helps them find the heroes within.

"They gain a lot of independence while they're here, this is the first time for most of them that mom and dad aren't looking over their shoulder," said one camp staff member.

They learn to give themselves shots of insulin or they are introduced to insulin pumps and they meet other diabetics who are doing extraordinary things.

Cross country skier Kris Freeman says the disease did not derail his dream.

"What happened is, I made the Olympics with the diabetes and I have the best result of anybody on the U.S. Team," Freeman said.

Many of the counselors at the camp also have diabetes.

And the kids say they've made lifelong friends.