JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. traded the football field for a summer camp Friday morning, spending time with children living with Type 1 diabetes at the Jacksonville DiaBesties Camp.
The five-day camp, hosted by Nemours Children’s Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, provides a free summer experience for children with Type 1 diabetes thanks to philanthropic donations. Nearly 50 campers between the ages of 8 and 15 participated this year.
Thomas, who serves as Nemours Children’s Health’s NFL ambassador, joined campers for warmup drills before taking part in a football game. He also spent time meeting with one camper individually, a 10-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just last week.
“It was actually super fun,” Thomas Jr. said. “Just being able to be a part of something like this and being able to be here for the kids.”
The camp is staffed by medical professionals, allowing children to enjoy a traditional camp experience while receiving specialized care and monitoring for their diabetes.
“It’s a camp that provides all these kids with diabetes an opportunity to have fun at camp but in a safe environment where they don’t have to worry about the diabetes,” Nemours Children’s Health Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes Chief Dr. Larry Fox said. “We do that for them. The medical staff does that for them.”
Thomas said his role with Nemours has helped him become more involved in the Jacksonville community since arriving with the Jaguars.
“Being able to be with the kids and being able to do things with Nemours, I definitely say it’s helped me out a lot being able to get into the community and be more connected with the community,” Thomas Jr. said.
The standout receiver said he hopes visits like Friday’s can have a lasting impact on children facing challenges.
“Just wanted to come out here and just be a spark for them, cheer them up, make their day go great,” Thomas Jr. said. “My dad tells me all the time just doing little things like this that will make someone’s whole year or whole day. I try to do little things like this whenever I can.”
For the campers, the visit provided an opportunity to spend time with one of Jacksonville’s most popular athletes while enjoying a week designed to help them build confidence, make friends and navigate life with Type 1 diabetes in a supportive environment.