For Danielle and Guy Barber, the thought of bringing their daughter Noa to a place away from home and their care was difficult. After learning about Roundup River Ranch from her coworker and camp’s medical director, Dr. Ben Ross, Danielle believed she had found a great opportunity for Noa. While the idea of bringing her daughter to a camp where she could have fun and try new things was exciting; the reality was still a little scary.
“I think from Noa’s perspective and our perspective, it was hard for us to feel like we could leave her somewhere where she would be safe, where they would know how to take care of her and make sure that she would have a great time,” Danielle shared.
These fears were eased when they saw the medical team onsite at camp. Danielle was able to experience the medical side of Summer Camp as a parent, doing medical check-in with Noa, and as a volunteer provider, because she stayed for all of Noa’s session to provide medical care to the campers during that session. For her, with a lot of experience working in ICUs, and for Guy, who has experience in emergency medicine, they were very impressed with the medical capacity of Roundup River Ranch.
“Coming here and meeting the medical team and seeing the staff, I was totally blown away,” Danielle said. “There is an incredible amount of skill and ability and caring, and they really are equipped to handle everything.”
Noa and Danielle had a blast at Summer Camp together and got to share in the joy of first-time activities like the Challenge Course. The fun didn’t end at Summer Camp, though, because they brought the rest of the Barber family to camp just a couple months later in the fall for Family Camp!
Noa’s siblings, Millie and Benji, and her dad, Guy, got to experience the magic of camp, and it was inspiring to watch them laugh and smile their way through the weekend. Benji and Millie could be heard giggling especially loud at the Challenge Course, the dunk tank, and kickball.
“It was probably one of the funnest camps,” Millie chimed in.
Aside from the fun camp activities, Danielle and Guy were grateful for the connection with other families that Family Camp provided.
“All along the way, it’s other families that are the most helpful for us in finding different perspectives, how to navigate daily life. The connection with other families is so valuable on the parent level and the kid level,” Danielle reflected.
Danielle shared her proud astonishment watching her children come out of their shells at Family Camp, especially when Noa got up in front of the audience at the Variety Show and shared her favorite joke. The whole room erupted in laughter.
It was a small moment, but it captured the magic of camp, where confidence grows, laughter is shared, and memories last long after the trip home.
