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See At 11: Upstate New York Couple Runs Camp For Children Allergic To Sunlight

CRARYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An upstate New York couple started a camp for children who are allergic to sunlight.

CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported Daniel and Caren Mahar came up with Camp Sundown after their daughter, Katie, was diagnosed with extreme light sensitivity.

"I could not allow her to have any limitations," Daniel Mahar said. "No one's going to tell my daughter that parts of this world are off limits to her."

The camp is located in Craryville, in upstate Columbia County, where typical day camp activities take place at night. It's funded solely by donations and hosts about 20 affected children, along with their families.

"You'll see them standing at the door, waiting to go outside at 9 o'clock," Caren Mahar said.

The entire building is safe for children with light sensitivity as the windows are tinted, the lights are incandescent and there is a set of double doors at the entrance to prevent sunlight from coming in.

The kids stay inside during the day doing various activities.

"We play games galore," camper Hannah Watkoske said. "Arts and crafts, you name it."

And when night falls, they get to go outside, run sack races, and jump in the pool.

"They get to be free. Their skin is free. They get to swim a few times a day, and their parents trust that it's safe and they can relax," said Caren Mahar.

Hannah is unable to be outside during the day for more than ten minutes.

"It feels like you're on fire," she said.

Doctors said children with such severe light sensitivities can be 1,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer because their bodies can't repair the damage caused by UV light.

"Basically, the sun poisons my body," Mackinley Adams said. "Fluorescent lights, halogen lights, basically every UV ray bothers my body."

Mackinley is not able to go outside when the sun is out at all.

"He gets up about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and doesn't go to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning," Kelly Adams, Mackinley's mother, said.

There is no cure for extreme light sensitivity.

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