Barretstown Archives - SeriousFun Children's Network

SeriousFun Camps Create Positive Childhood Experiences

In the U.S. alone, 1 in 5 children live with special healthcare needs. For these kids, childhood often includes hospital rooms, treatment schedules, and long stretches of isolation. They face nearly double the risk of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) compared to their peers, leading to poorer physical health, mental health challenges, and reduced well-being later in life. This is why positive childhood experiences (PCEs) matter even more for kids facing illness. These positive experiences act as a protective antidote to traumatic childhood events—promoting lifelong health, resilience,…

You Helped Liam Find His People

“Since it was a camp for all people, I knew that I would really belong here.” ~Liam Born weighing just 13 ounces, Liam entered the world with a mere 6% chance of survival. His early life was a delicate balancing act of 14 surgeries, countless blood transfusions, and constant support from breathing devices. Every day…

You Helped Them Be Friends First, Patients Second

“I never thought a child would come up to me and say, ’Look, Mom, he shakes like me.’ It really moved me.” Federico’s mom Riccardo and Federico’s story begins not at camp, but at a place most families never want to know well: the pediatric ward. It was there that both boys faced leukemia together,…

You Helped Áine Climb Again

A sudden loss of balance on a family holiday was all it took to turn the lives of Áine and her family upside down. At seven years old, Áine was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Overnight, her new normal became one filled with hospitals, seemingly endless months of chemotherapy, and the long road of recovery. During treatment, Áine had lost much…

You Helped Hannah Find Her Team, Her Voice, and Her Way Forward

“To spend a week without being asked what’s wrong… that’s powerful.” Hannah arrived at Victory Junction, the SeriousFun camp in North Carolina, with a love for basketball and a quiet hope to belong. Too often in her life, people noticed her wheelchair before they noticed her talent. At camp, everything changed. She was seen first…

You Helped Bless Believe She Has a Future Worth Fighting For

“At camp there is a lot of love and unity, things I have never experienced from my family and friends at school.” ~ Bless When Bless first arrived at Salama Camp, a SeriousFun camp in Tanzania, her world was heavy with confusion and isolation. At just 15, she had already faced what no child should:…

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