Raised $7577
I am 12. This is my second time having cancer. I had it first when I was 3 and had it ’til I was 6. Then when I was 11 it came back. I love soccer and playing the piano. I want to become an actress when I grow up. This piece means to me how I feel going through chemo again. I close up like a flower all the time ’cause I am nervous how people will react to me, but when I come to Wapiyapi I bloom again ’cause people here are so kind.
– A young patient explaining their painting of a blooming flower
Cancer. The thought of it striking those I love is unnerving. The thought of it striking my child, unfathomable. The statistics are staggering; before the age of twenty, one in every one hundred and thirty boys will be diagnosed with cancer and one in every one hundred thirty-three girls. 75% of these will overcome the disease yet the fight alone alters one’s childhood forever. Overnight the new patient is forced to grow up in so many ways and family life is reconfigured as parents’ number one priority becomes winning the battle.
Campy Wapiyapi, located in the Rocky Mountains, offers respite for kids diagnosed with cancer and their families. For one week, life is spent enjoying one of the basic treasures of childhood … summer camp. Days are filled with water fights, goofy skits, and cabin raids. “Everyone here is a kid, no one is breakable and there are no parents telling you- you can’t do that.” Kids are surrounded by others who share their unique experiences. It’s “one week where everyone you meet already understands everything.”
This experience is made possible by the hundreds of volunteers that help out at camp each year. Every child is paired with an adult companion. These are volunteers, cancer survivors, and pre-med students that spend the week dedicated to having fun with that child.
I love that Wapiyapi is about building a community. I love that Wapiyapi knows it’s important to be inclusive of siblings. I love that Wapiyapi is about old-fashioned camp fun.
But mostly I love the idea of giving a child a chance to be a child.