Nine-year-old Harry Sellers said he’s gone to summer camp for four years and loves it.
“One of the best things about camp is that you get to meet people that you probably would have never met,” he said.
For example, people who have similar journeys to him.
“People that know what you’ve gone through with this whole journey of pain, which is cancer,” Sellers said.
Camp Hope is a week-long summer experience for children who’ve had cancer or going through treatments.
At camp, there’s activities, crafts and fun that kids can enjoy, while still having a medical team on site, said cancer survivor and camp volunteer Sarah Forster.
“When you’re diagnosed with cancer as a kid, the normalcy piece goes away from you,” she said. There’s not something that anybody can do to replace that feeling when you’re out in the public or getting treatments. You miss out on a lot of things that other kids get to experience.”
For example, playing cards with your friends, making dream catchers or even telling jokes.
“It’s normal to be a cancer patient here and that was something I had been lacking,” she said.
Camp Hope ambassador Chelsea Glavin said this camp has made her the person she is today.
“I’m so glad I get to be apart of something that impacts so many people,” Glavin said. “I’m excited to start preparing for new activities for next year.”
For Harry, he said Camp Hope is something he hopes will last forever; and hope that something else won’t.
“I hope that cancer will end, eventually,” Seller said.
