Meet Volunteer Dr. Jay
Por Sydney Jansen
As Roundup River Ranch approaches its 20th Anniversary, stories like Dr. Jay Markson’s remind us about the true power of camp.
A recently retired pediatrician from Denver, Dr. Jay had been encouraged to volunteer at Roundup River Ranch for years. Dr. Lia Gore, a longtime partner of camp, first planted the seed. Later, he got a final nudge from someone else in the camp community.
“Dr. Jay, you’re going to volunteer as a camp doctor this summer,” he laughed as he recalled what he was told.
“Here I am, enjoying every minute. I think I’m the third or fourth doctor that finally came to Roundup after retiring,” compartió.
Though this was his first summer at Roundup River Ranch, camp medicine isn’t new to Dr. Jay. Early in his career, he and his wife served as a camp doctor and nurse, and he volunteered at specialty camps for Asthma and Diabetes. Still, stepping back into camp life after 40 years came with some surprises.
“When you’re a doctor, you think, what are you going to do as a camp doctor? Emergencies, this and that.”
Instead, he found himself surrounded by deeply capable and committed staff and volunteers.
“The dedication of both the volunteers and the staff – it just blows my mind,” dijo.
At Family Camp where he volunteered, Dr. Jay discovered his favorite moments weren’t medical at all.
“My favorite memory is that I had to do very little medical work,” he recalled. “I love scrubbing down dishes and getting to know families and kids in a special way while they’re having fun. They’re not so focused on their disease.”
Dr. Jay was even dunked in the dunk tank by a camper he’d helped with asthma.
“He got back at me,” he joked.
When asked about the importance of camp for children with life-altering medical diagnoses, Dr. Jay’s answer was simple.
“There’s no other camp they could attend.”
Here, they’re “surrounded by loving people who want to see them succeed.”
Dr. Jay concluded his Family Camp story with some advice to future volunteers: “Open mind, open heart.”
