Cancer Camp!

Max and Hannah have spent this week at Camp Reach for the Sky, an annual event hosted by the Amer Cancer Society. This year the kids went to day camp together and have had a blast. As I wasn't there to take photos - there are none to post! Nonetheless, the kids loved it, swam everyday, did arts & craps (I mean crafts!), and just had a lot of fun.

I learned a lot about the camps myself:

• the little kids day camp (that Hannah & Max were in this year) for 4-8 yr olds are manned by nurses and a doctor and the teenage-couselors are cancer survivors, warriors and siblings or cancer kids. They've all been to the camps and love what they do.
• there is an 8-18 yr old over night camp for siblings (which Hannah will attend next year and until she's 18). The kids are grouped by age and get to know other cancer-siblings and find out that they are not alone in having the feelings they do about their parents or cancer brother, not getting attention at home, their school friends not understanding - all the teenagers said it has helped them so much and they look forward to it every year. These are the same kids who volunteer to help at the little kids camp.
• and the 8-18 yr old resident overnight camp is for the cancer kids. A place they can go where all the kids understand all their ailments, physical abilities or lack thereof. A place where they can be comfortable trying new things without fear of failing and enjoy a huge boost of self-confidence with each new accomlishment.