“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…
“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,…
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…
“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…
“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:…
“Camp taught me I’m more than my diagnosis. It gave me the confidence to lead and the courage to speak up.” – Violet As a kid living with HIV, Violet faced stigma and isolation in her community. She was uncertain of her future: What could a happy and healthy life with HIV look like? For…
