Camp Purple Live 2026 – Letting Kids Be Kids

While many people have heard of the illnesses Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, most are probably not aware that New Zealand has one of the highest rates of these diseases in the world. To make matters worse, twenty percent are children.

This week over eighty children and forty volunteers have gathered at Waipara Adventure Centre for Camp Purple Live, an annual six day camp for children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In most regards, it is a regular camp with challenging activities, where lasting friendships are made and kids can just have fun. But there are differences. There are five doctors and five nurses who look after the children, dispense medications, and provide round-the-clock medical care. There is a dietetic team to prepare special diets and two child psychologists to facilitate talk about life with a chronic illness. Twenty five young adults, all with these diseases themselves, volunteer as group leaders. They serve as role models for the children, showing them that people with these diseases can live normal, productive lives.

In 2017, it was estimated that over 20,000 New Zealanders have Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as “inflammatory bowel disease”. Recent research out of the University of Otago has shown that that number is growing at an alarming rate. The symptoms can be severe, often requiring hospitalisations, sometimes surgery, and, almost always, medications which suppress the immune system.

Dr. Richard Stein, Chair of Crohn’s and Colitis NZ Charitable Trust, the sponsors of the camp which is provided at no cost to the children’s families, remarked that “Needless to say, the impact of these diseases on the very young can be devastating. They can lead to missed school days, frequent visits to the hospital, and social isolation. Camp Purple Live provides an opportunity for children to know that they are not alone, to make lifelong friends, and be part of a community where everyone understands the challenges they deal with every day.”

Visitors to the camp this week include Hurunui Mayor Marie Black, MP’s Todd Stephenson and Laura McClure, and members of Freemasons NZ, major supporters of the camp.

[1] Snively, S (2017) Reducing the Growing Burden of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in New Zealand. https://www.burdenofibd.org.nz/research

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