When Virgina Brake was diagnosed with Celiac disease, her world changed. Her family’s world, too.
Like many families navigating autoimmune conditions, the Brakes faced an overwhelming amount of new information, major dietary changes, and a new sense of vigilance. Virginia’s new food restrictions suddenly shaped what she could eat—and how she was included—at school lunches, birthday parties, and more.
So, when the Brake family first learned about Roundup River Ranch, our SeriousFun camp in Colorado, it sounded almost too good to be true.
“It said free, and I thought, ‘what’?” Virginia’s mom, Susan shared. “But then I realized Virginia could meet other kids with Celiac, and everything would be taken care of. That felt incredible.”
From the first day, they felt the difference.
“I love this camp,” Virginia said. “I feel safe here and I don’t have to worry about what I’m eating.”
For the first time, she wasn’t the only kid navigating food restrictions. Virginia had met other adults with Celiac before, but not other kids. At camp, she bonded with kids her age who shared similar experiences—something that helped her feel understood in a whole new way.
In this medically safe environment, the initial sense of uncertainty the Brake family felt quickly gave way to laughter, adventure, and a new sense of freedom at programs like the Challenge Course, the Carnival, and the Variety Show.
“The zip line was scary at first,” Virginia said. “But then it wasn’t. I could just let go.”
For parents Susan and Beau, camp offered a rare sense of respite and relief, too.
“You can finally take a sigh of relief and just enjoy spending time together,” Susan shared. “There are trusted adults who are just playing, laughing, and letting kids be kids. More kids, and honestly more adults, need that.”
Attending camp together didn’t just create cherished moments that the Brakes will never forget.
As a child navigating a new diagnosis, camp gave Virginia a critical sense of belonging. And it gave the whole family much-needed, restorative time together—plus a new sense of freedom they carried home.
