The magic of camp starts with the incredible gift of feeling like you BELONG.
“At camp, I found my tribe. I found a place where I fit again. Where I was seen for what I could do instead of what I couldn’t. For who I was, not how I used to be. I left feeling like me again, with new-found confidence that has been a huge part of my healing.
At age 7, I was healthy, happy and determined to bring sunshine to everyone I met. But at 8, my health suddenly changed and I’ve been fighting for that sunshine ever since. It started with endless hours of sleep, fevers, and more. Soon, my illness started attacking my brain, and going to school was impossible. It was lonely and terrifying. We finally learned that I had a severe autoimmune disease, and then I learned I also had Behcet’s Disease and bone marrow cancer. I needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Eight months after my transplant, I went home, but so much had been stolen from my childhood.
I felt alone and pretty hopeless. And that’s when Roundup River Ranch showed up! My first week at camp I had the time of my life. The girl who needed a wheelchair and was too tired to walk, suddenly ziplined, canoed, wheelchair danced, shot a bullseye, stargazed, overcame stage fright, and experienced girl-talk in the cabin. I found new friends, but most importantly I found myself again. I learned to live again. I found the sunshine I’d been searching for.”
– Camper Tatum
