Nursing Instructor Judy Foster’s Role in New Morgan’s Wonderland Camp
Morgan’s Wonderland recently announced the addition of a brand new facility to the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park. The new Morgan’s Wonderland Camp, which consists of a 102-acre recreational oasis on the northern outskirts of San Antonio, will offer a summer-camp-type experience to those with and without special needs. The nonprofit organization began work on the new camp last year and organized an advisory committee to construct proper rides and accommodations. Judy Foster volunteered her time and served on the advisory committee for not only this project, but the original Morgan’s Wonderland Park ten years ago.
“As a parent of children with special needs, I was on that original advisory committee, for the original Morgan’s Wonderland,” said Judy Foster, Lead Nursing Instructor in Hallmark University’s School of Nursing. “Gordon Hartman asked me to help with this one. I’m the only parent of children with special needs on the committee, though I’m also the only nurse. So I represent views not only from a parent’s perspective but also from a nursing perspective.”
Judy has visited the site of the future location of Morgan’s Wonderland Camp and made a series of recommendations for facilities and resident cabins based off of her expertise. Her ten years of previous work as a nurse at Camp CAMP, a summer camp designed for children and adults with special needs, has provided a great deal of knowledge that has helped in the development of this project. The amount of detail invested in the park and camp is immeasurable, taking into fact numerous types of individuals who would use both facilities and the accommodations necessary for their comfort and safety.
“I worked on Inspiration Island, which they call a spray ground not a water park, because it has no standing water. To keep it all-inclusive there is no standing water since children with special needs can’t get in the water. It is so detailed and planned that even part of the water is warmed. A lot of people with cerebral palsy and other conditions, cold water will cause a startle response, so we warmed it to body temp. It’s that specific. I was running around out here trying to figure out how warm the water had to be, so it didn’t cause a startle response when I was on that committee. It’s phenomenal.”
The new Morgan’s Wonderland Camp is only twenty minutes away from Morgan’s Wonderland and will likely share a variety of activities. The facilities are projected to be completed in 2020 and will be able to house up to 525 campers and staff for a variety of camping sessions. The camp will provide people with physical and cognitive challenges an opportunity to enjoy camp-type activities alongside guests without special needs.
To learn more about Morgan’s Wonderland Camp, you can visit the official site announcement here