Chance at a normal childhood: 65 kids with chronic illnesses go camping with 110 volunteers at Camp Rainbow

Syarifah Alawiyah Alaydrus (left) enjoys a game of miniature bowling with her befriender, Ms Nurdiyanah Shaiffah, at Camp Rainbow's indoor sports carnival. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Elisa Chia

UPDATED Jun 15, 2025, 12:15 PM

Thanks for sharing!

SINGAPORE – Eager for her first camp experience, seven-year-old Syarifah Alawiyah Alaydrus could not wait for the June school holidays to start.

“She was so excited that she told her teachers about the sign-up and kept asking me every day: ‘When is my camp?’,” Madam Nor Hidayah Alaudin, 39, a senior patient service associate, said of her daughter.

Annabel Ong, 12, was also pumped up for the three-day, two-night camp.

While holiday programmes abound during school breaks, Camp Rainbow is unique, catering to beneficiaries aged six to 16 from Club Rainbow Singapore.

The charity supports children with chronic illnesses, including Alawiyah, who has osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease; and Annabel, who has been diagnosed with central hypoventilation syndrome, a sleep-related breathing disorder.

Held from May 31 to June 2, the medically supervised event was supported by 110 volunteers – including 22 doctors and nurses – who outnumbered the 65 young campers.

To ensure their well-being, the children were mostly paired with a befriender for support and shared accommodation at D’Resort @ Downtown East in Pasir Ris. Some kids with special needs or disabilities were assisted by two befrienders.

The participants engaged in diverse activities, including games at Pasir Ris Park, an indoor campfire at Singapore University of Technology and Design and an indoor sports carnival at Goodwood Park Hotel.

Throughout the programmes, the children were divided into six groups, each accompanied by a doctor and a nurse. There were additional medical staff who oversaw the event as well.

Koo Wen Rui (far right), 14, and his befriender Joel Thong shooting hoops at Camp Rainbow’s indoor sports carnival. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Started in 1991, Camp Rainbow existed before the non-profit Club Rainbow was formed.

“At that time, there wasn’t such a camp for vulnerable children, so a group of volunteers decided to organise one,” said Mr Teo Siang Loong, executive director of Club Rainbow Singapore.

“The organisation was born out of the camp in 1992 because the volunteers realised there was so much more they could do for these kids.”

Nathan Wang, 12, says goodbye to his mother (back to camera) at Camp Rainbow’s second evening, after parents joined their children for an indoor campfire at Singapore University of Technology and Design. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

The camps are planned and supported by volunteers comprising tertiary students, young working adults, nurses and doctors – a good number of whom return annually to serve.

Nexter Ng (left), 16, embracing his group mate Lucas New, 15, midway through a cheering session at Camp Rainbow’s indoor campfire. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

Among them is Dr Junaidah Badron, a senior staff physician at the Children’s Emergency at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital who has been involved in the camp for 11 years. She began as a volunteer and is now the medical director on Club Rainbow’s management council.

“The overnight camp offers these children an opportunity to build independence and confidence as they are away from their parents,” said Dr Junaidah.

“Caregiving is not easy, so this camp also allows parents to have time for themselves while their kids are with us.”

Chance at a normal childhood

Befriender Nurdiyanah Shaiffah (front row, second from right) encouraging seven-year-old Syarifah Alawiyah Alaydrus (in wheelchair) to sing along during their group’s performance at the indoor campfire. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

At seven, Alawiyah holds the distinction of being the youngest participant at Camp Rainbow 2025.

Diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta type 3, a severe form of brittle bone disease, the 70cm-tall girl is unable to walk.

During the camp, Ms Nurdiyanah Shaiffah, a staff nurse at Singapore General Hospital, was happy to hold Alawiyah in her arms or take her around in a wheelchair. The 24-year-old was returning for a second time as a befriender.

Befriender Nurdiyanah Shaiffah (from far right) and beneficiary Syarifah Alawiyah Alaydrus, with her sisters Syeikha Zayesha Attamimi and Syarifah Fatimah Azzahra Alaydrus. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Madam Hidayah is grateful for Alawiyah’s opportunity to attend a holiday camp. Her wish is for her daughter to have a joyful childhood and remain resilient, a trait she has shown since birth.

Alawiyah has consistently surpassed expectations, such as when medical professionals predicted she would not live beyond her first year. Or when a psychologist said she had a low IQ; she is now in the academic programme at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School East.

“Whatever activities Club Rainbow shares with me, I would enrol her in. These programmes allow her to feel like a normal child and help her learn to be more independent,” said Madam Hidayah. She has two other daughters, aged 10 and two, and a one-year-old son, and is expecting another baby in October.

Madam Nor Hidayah Alaudin receiving a crocheted rose from her second child Syarifah Alawiyah Alaydrus (in green shirt), during the indoor camp. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

After a fun-filled time at the camp, Alawiyah beamed with pride as she showed her participation certificate to her mother.

Madam Hidayah said: “She told me that kakak (Malay for elder sister) is usually the one who gets to do many activities. But this camp gave her the chance to try new things, such as using a badminton racket, which really boosted her self-confidence.”

However, due to her medical complications, Alawiyah could not stay overnight with her new friends, limiting her experience to a day camp.

Fellow participant Annabel also had a unique arrangement and did not share a room with her befriender, unlike the other campers.

The 12-year-old comes across like any other active child, but the tracheostomy tube valve at her throat suggests an underlying health issue.

Annabel Ong, 12, who has central hypoventilation syndrome, a sleep-related breathing disorder, gets her face painted at Camp Rainbow’s indoor sports carnival. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

She has central hypoventilation syndrome, a rare disorder that affects breathing, and relies on a medical device to support her breathing when she sleeps.

Concerned for Annabel’s well-being, her father Ken Ong, a 49-year-old food delivery rider, booked a room at the same resort where the other campers were staying. This allowed her to spend evenings with her family and return each morning for daily camp activities.

Mr Ken Ong hugging his daughter Annabel Ong after she gifts him a crocheted rose at the indoor campfire. That evening, parents were treated to their kids’ performances. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

Although he had been aware of Camp Rainbow for many years, he had always considered Annabel too young for it until now.

He wanted to let Annabel, a Primary 6 pupil at Chongzheng Primary School, enjoy the June holidays before preparing for the Primary School Leaving Examination.

At the camp, she found a welcome escape from studies. She told The Straits Times that the campfire night was her favourite, as she revelled in her group’s dance performance and the disco party that followed.

‘Braver than you know’

Annabel Ong (fourth from right) revelling in her group’s dance performance at the indoor campfire and the disco party that followed. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

Annabel’s befriender Eileen Chang, 22, fondly recalled watching the girl enjoy herself with the other kids at the disco party.

“It was super memorable. In that instant, they were simply children dancing and having fun, not defined by disabilities or special needs,” said Ms Chang, a final-year student at Singapore Management University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business.

This was her first volunteering stint with Camp Rainbow, and it taught her patience and inspired in her a new-found respect for the tireless dedication of parents.

Aiden Chan, nine, grooving to the music at Camp Rainbow’s disco party. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG

These valuable takeaways for youth volunteers, said Club Rainbow’s Mr Teo, are just as important as the camp’s positive impact on the children.

“We aim to develop community inclusivity by giving volunteers the opportunity to engage with the vulnerable,” he added.

“Through this interaction, we hope they will gain a better understanding and realise that this group, although vulnerable, are not very different from able-bodied or neurotypical individuals.”

Kenji Wong (right) enjoying himself on the inflatable playground at Camp Rainbow’s indoor sports carnival. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

As the camp concluded, he addressed the charity’s beneficiaries, saying: “You are stronger than you think and braver than you know. This camp is your space to have fun, try new things and make friends. Chronic illness may be part of your life journey, but it doesn’t define your potential.”

Elisa Chia is a correspondent at The Straits Times, writing parenting and lifestyle features.

More on this Topic

Get the   for expert advice. Visit   for more

Thanks for sharing!