My Safe Haven

Safe Haven I think that is the word I would choose to explain my experience at Camp John Marc. It’s something that can not be explained unless you have experienced it first hand the beauty of this place. Most people would describe their experiences this week as better than Christmas and I would have to agree. It is something that is life-changing for all who are lucky enough to step through the gates. For most, it is the silver lining in having a disability or being sick. For seven years (it would be nine but COVID) I spent the second week of June fishing, zip lining, swimming, riding horses, sleeping under the stars, doing archery, boating, cooking outside, water wars, slip and slides, and most of importantly being a kid. It quickly became my favorite place on Earth and my second home.

But it is not the activities that make this place so magical. It’s the people, the bonds, and the conversations that can be had that I have created throughout the magic of the past seven years. It is not every day that every single part of accessibility is taken into consideration for me. It is probably the only place that I don’t have to think about if there will be an elevator, a ramp, or accessible bathrooms if I will be able to participate in the activities, or if I will be stuck on the sidelines. It is one of the few places I can be truly who I am and not have to keep secrets or figure out ways out of awkward situations. I have created such strong friendships that there is no filter around those people. It is the type of friendship in that we can go the whole year without seeing each other or in the case of COVID three years and pick up right where we left off. They were some of the few friends who have grown with me from the time I was eight to now.

Having a traditional summer camp experience helped me grow, mature, and become independent in all areas of my life. Camp was the first time I spent more than one night away from my parents. Starting this when I was eight was perfect for me and my family because this was around the same time some of my school friends were going to sleepaway camps and it allowed me to create a strong sense of self-reliance at a young age without my parents being scared about all of my medical needs being taken care of.  Camp helped my parent not become coddling like sometimes parents can be when they have a child with a disability. All of the same doctors and nurses that took care of me year-round were the same people who took care of me during camp. This gave me the chance some independence like choosing what I got to wear that day, what I ate at a meal, and doing my hair while keeping me safe and healthy. Every year I was allowed to do more and more for myself which gave me a safe place to learn and grow. I am now completely medically independent. I am now completely independent which I do not think would have happened at such a young age if it wasn’t for camp.

I have always enjoyed all things relating to camp, but there has always been one thing that I have never really enjoyed and that was sleeping outside. One night out of the week instead of sleeping in the cabin we would sleep under the stars in our sleeping bags. I never really enjoyed this night the bugs, how hot it was, last year it was so humid I woke up soaked from the humidity. I remember complaining every year to the counselors to let us sleep inside and they never would. It took me a long time to understand why they would make me sleep outside and do something I didn’t want to do. But it taught me I can do hard things. Often outside of camp when I am going through a hard time I think of those nights sleeping outside under the stars and it reminds me that if I can do that then I can get through whatever I am going through. 

Safe Haven is the word I would to describe Camp John Marc because it is the place that recharges my battery and has given me the skills, resources, strength, and courage to go through my day-to-day life and whatever this life has to offer living with a disability.