Everyone in the SeriousFun community knows camp is a place where kids discover what’s possible. But sometimes, it’s also where they discover what they’re meant to do.

Living With LAMA2 Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy

As a child living with LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophy, Gavin grew up navigating a world that wasn’t always built with him in mind.

Too often, his wheelchair was the first thing people noticed instead of the person he was. Victory Junction, our SeriousFun camp in North Carolina, offered something different: a place where he could feel included, independent, and fully himself.

An Accessible Summer Camp Helped Gavin Build Independence

At camp, Gavin found more than confidence. He found a place where friendships came naturally and every activity was designed so he could participate fully. Along the way, he learned what it felt like to make his own decisions and advocate for himself.

Looking back, Gavin says camp helped him build positivity and taught him not to be afraid to meet new people. Each summer brought new campers, new friendships, and the reassurance that came from quickly connecting with people who understood him.

For his mom, Mindy, the transformation was impossible to miss.

“When we drove through that tunnel, I wished I could bottle the emotion,” she said. “It’s a thankfulness, a gratefulness… somebody loves your kid enough to do this and to see him for him.”

The first time she picked Gavin up from camp, she remembers him eagerly introducing her to the friends he’d made.

“Look at all these friends that are like me, or that see me for me, not this wheelchair.”

From Camper to Content Creator

Camp also helped Gavin discover interests that would eventually shape his career.

When Victory Junction selected him as a guest reporter at a NASCAR race, he discovered a passion for sports media. The experience inspired him to study creative media production in college, and today he has come full circle, working with Victory Junction’s marketing and communications team, creating content and covering racing events that help introduce new families to camp.

This summer, Gavin will return to Victory Junction for his first camp session since his summers as a camper, taking on a content creator role with the camp’s marketing team.

How Camp Helped Gavin Find His Purpose

“The biggest opportunity camp gave me wasn’t at camp,” Gavin says. The experience gave him a career path.

Today, Gavin credits camp with helping him embrace new opportunities and discover a sense of purpose that continues to shape his life.

“Camp has not only given me confidence and happiness as a kid,” he says, “but also purpose as an adult.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is LAMA2 related congenital muscular dystrophy?

A: LAMA2 related muscular dystrophy is a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and affects movement. It can vary significantly from person to person. For children with the early onset form, muscle weakness often begins at birth or in infancy and may affect mobility, breathing, feeding, and other everyday activities.

Q: Can children with muscular dystrophy go to summer camp?

A: Yes. Specialized medical camps can make traditional camp experiences accessible to children living with muscular dystrophy and other serious medical conditions. At SeriousFun camps, activities and facilities are adapted so campers with different mobility and medical needs can participate, build friendships, make choices, and experience greater independence.

Q: How can camp help children who use wheelchairs?

A: An accessible camp environment can give children who use wheelchairs opportunities to participate alongside their peers rather than being defined by what they cannot do. For Gavin, that meant making friends, trying new experiences, making his own decisions, and being around people who saw him as a person first.

Q: How can camp help children with muscular dystrophy become more independent?

A: Camp gives children opportunities to make decisions, try unfamiliar activities, navigate social situations, and advocate for what they need within a medically supportive environment. For Gavin, those experiences helped build the confidence and self advocacy skills he carried into life beyond camp.

Q: Can the benefits of camp continue into adulthood?

A: They can. The confidence, relationships, interests, and sense of possibility children develop at camp can influence choices long after a camp session ends. Gavin’s experience eventually helped him discover an interest in sports media, pursue creative media production in college, and build a career that brought him back to Victory Junction as a content creator.

Q: What makes SeriousFun camps different for children with serious medical conditions?

A: SeriousFun camps are designed so children living with serious illnesses can experience camp with the medical support and accessibility they need. That means children who may encounter barriers elsewhere can participate, connect with peers, develop greater independence, and discover what they are capable of beyond their medical diagnosis.