MIAMI — VACC Camp: Camp: “Can Do” a documentary film featuring Miami Children’s Hospital’s (MCH) Ventilation Assisted Children’s Camp (VACC Camp)  recently received the third place prize in the “Feature Documentary” category at the 2013 ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto. The film made its world premiere at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and also screened at the Sunscreen Film Festival.
 
The film, which was written, produced and directed by award-winning South Florida filmmaker Dan Perez, documents the 25th anniversary of VACC Camp, the nation’s first week-long camp for ventilation-assisted children (children needing a tracheostomy ventilator, C-PAP, Bi-PAP, or oxygen to support breathing) and their families.  VACC Camp gives children the opportunity to enjoy activities that are not readily accessible to them, such as swimming, because of their dependency on medical technology.  Many of the children are wheelchair bound and have limited, if any, movement from the neck down.
 
The film depicts the challenges these children and their families face on a daily basis as well as the impact the campers have on the young volunteers and MCH’s medical staff consisting of nurses, medical residents, respiratory therapists and child life specialists who volunteer their time to ensure the children receive round-the-clock care.Mr. Perez has been producing corporate videos and documentary films for almost a decade. With his two previous documentary films also taking home awards at various film festivals, Mr. Perez's ability to combine creativity and efficiency in his productions has received national as well as international recognition.
 
VACC Camp was founded in 1986 by Dr. Moises Simpser, Director of the Division of Pulmonology at MCH, to give the children and their families a week of freedom and independence from their medical limitations. Dr. Simpser says, “VACC Camp: “Can-Do” provides a clear visual description of the impact that VACC Camp has from the simple smile on a campers face to the expressions of happiness in their parents faces. The film is a testament to the way VACC Camp changes the lives of everyone involved.”
 
Throughout the years the camp has been attended by children from all over the world representing more than 20 states and countries. For more information about VACC Camp please visit www.vacccamp.com
                                                            
About Miami Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine. In fact, it is the only hospital in Florida to be ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties assessed by U.S. News & World Report in its annual Best Children's Hospitals rankings for three consecutive years, 2011, 2012 and 2013-14. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.