COUNTYWIDE : Asthmatic Youths Spend Day at Camp

Thirteen Ventura County youngsters who suffer from asthma spent Saturday swimming, playing games and doing various crafts at a free, one-day camp sponsored by the American Lung Assn. of Ventura County.

The camp, called the David Odgers Scamp Camp, was held in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Malibu.

The children played some organized games, such as water basketball and tossing a water balloon.

But they also created some games of their own.

In one game created by the youths, they competed over who could keep their heads under water the longest.

In addition to fun and physical activity, the camp gave the youths an opportunity to discuss with medical professionals how to properly care for asthma. Dr. Chris Landon, director of the Pediatric Diagnostic Clinic at the Ventura County Medical Center, taught the children relaxation techniques to use when they are overcome by an asthma attack.

One technique, Landon told the children, is to lie on their backs and imagine they are floating on a raft in the ocean, bobbing gently with the waves.

Relaxing can reduce the severity of an asthma attack by helping the children to breathe easier, Landon said.