When
parents get cancer, their children often feel overwhelmed and lonely.
Camp Kesem offers these children the chance to spend a week surrounded
by others suffering through a similar situation. They can play games,
practice arts and crafts and simply enjoy being kids. Emily Chan,
’06, the co-director of the camp, heard about the concept
from her brother who was a counselor at Stanford’s Camp Kesem.
In 2003, she helped establish a chapter at UCSD, which is free to
children between the ages of 6 and 13, who have at least one parent
with cancer. In addition to the more traditional camp fare, each
night the counselors would lead Cabin Chats during which kids shared
how cancer had affected their families. “The last day we had
a potluck and none of the campers wanted to go home,” says
Chan. “They made close friends because they had a chance to
share their
struggles with other people, which was a relief for them. It was
really rewarding to see that.” 
|
