A Perfect Day Now on Kickstarter.com Aims to Help Kids With Tough Medical Conditions LIVE WELL

LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2014) – Pediatrician, musician and social entrepreneur Ben Meisel, M.D., announced today he’s taking his big idea of building play into health to Kickstarter.com. This past weekend Dr. Ben (as his patients call him) launched a 30-day music campaign to fund A Perfect Day – a children’s album packaging up summer camp’s empowering fun to boost the outlook and health of kids living with significant medical conditions. A Perfect Day on Kickstarter.com aims to raise $15,000 by July 22 to produce the album by fall 2014.

“Camp-inspired music really does a body good! I’ve witnessed it and research backs me up,” said Dr. Ben. “I believe there’s a community that will rally around A Perfect Day and its mission to build up kids and their overall quality of life.”

The album’s inspiration comes from kids who Dr. Ben has cared for that choose to see the good in things, despite imperfect health circumstances. Dr. Ben’s service at the SeriousFun Children’s Network of camps, founded by Paul Newman, shows camp experiences transform kids. The music of A Perfect Day helps kids draw upon camp’s psychosocial benefits (e.g., positive coping strategies and decreased illness-related stress).

Musicians participating in the project include: Alastair Greene and Austin Beede from the Alastair Greene Band, Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket, bassist David Piltch, harmonica legend Tom Ball and guitarists Nick Massie and Daniel Zimmerman.

Watch A Perfect Day’s Kickstarter video.
Learn more about Dr. Ben and his personal story that led him to camp medicine.
Listen to a song on the album written by Dr. Ben – “Coming Out of My Shell” on YouTube.

ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACT of CAMP

Going to camp represents a childhood right of passage. For kids with significant health challenges, their complex daily care management can make a camp experience logistically unattainable. The pioneering work of the SeriousFun Children’s Network has made camp experiences possible for these kids, which has been shown to have a positive impact. A 2012 Yale Child Study Center evaluation found that children with serious illness who attended a SeriousFun Camp showed improved confidence, higher self-esteem, a greater sense of  independence and increased interest in social activities. The study also revealed that children’s stress related to their illness decreased as a result of the camp experience.

ABOUT DR. BEN

Dr. Ben Meisel, FAAP, practices pediatric urgent care in Valencia, Calif. He launched Dr. Ben & Co. in 2013. As a social entrepreneur, he sees tremendous possibilities for empowering music, educational gaming and health entertainment that enable children, teens and families to

LIVE WELL despite serious medical conditions. Dr. Ben put his combined medical and musical talents to work as the chief medical advisor and medical director of The Painted Turtle (California’s SeriousFun Children’s Network medical camp) from 2006 to 2010. He’s also received accolades as a children’s music composer and recording artist. He earned the 1998 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio “Best Audio” Platinum Award, 1995 “Best Audio” Gold Award and SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Product) Award for his children’s music recordings as KiD’n TOGETHER (in collaboration with his brother Alex Meisel).

Dr. Ben & Co. on Facebook
Dr. Ben on LinkedIn

Contact:

Ben Meisel, M.D.
(661)-964-7125
DrBenMail@gmail.com