Meet the Drinkall Family
Welcoming. Restful. Joyful.
“It’s like a shared language… It’s nice to be with people who get it.”
The Drinkall Family is all about new experiences and spending time together. Over the past three years, Family Camp has been a place for them to enjoy both. Some highlights from their last visit include matching face paint, boating in the rain, and hitting a bullseye or two at Archery.
One of camper Roy’s favorite memories was watching his parents fly down the Zipline at the Challenge Course.
“It’s fun to watch them be kids, too,” Roy said.
Roy was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia in 2020, and spent months in the hospital during treatment and recovery.
“Your bone marrow just stops working,” Roy explained. “There were less platelets and white blood cells, and it slowly goes away.”
As someone who loves to be outside, those months were challenging for Roy, and camp was a key way for him to reconnect with his love for the outdoors in a safe environment.
Roy is now in remission after a strenuous care plan, including a bone marrow transplant from his father, Craig. For six months, the family was split between the hospital, Brent’s Place, and family homes during recovery.
With the added stress of the pandemic, they often felt isolated, living in a bubble with little contact with other people or families.
“It was really traumatic for us… the whole family suffered and was impacted,” Roy’s mom, Amber, recalled. “To have somewhere that celebrates the whole family and lets us heal together means a lot to us.”
They discovered Roundup River Ranch three years ago through their hospital and decided to give Family Camp a try. In that first camp experience, they met other families who have been through cancer, tumors, and blood disorders, finding comfort in the similar stories and the people around them.
“There’s something powerful about being able to just share your experience and your story and know that people understand,” Craig said.
As the Drinkalls signed up for more camps, Amber was especially relieved at how easy it was to connect with other campers, families, and staff.
“It’s like a shared language… It’s nice to be with people who get it,” Amber added.
The Drinkall family has continued to attend camps at Roundup River Ranch each year, reuniting with friends and experiencing all that Family Camps and Summer Camps have to offer.
And for them, it’s time to play, laugh, and heal together in a powerful way.
“Everyone’s including everyone,” said Roy’s sister, Cadence.“So you get a sense of belonging, even though you don’t live here or you’re only here for two days, you still feel like you belong.”
