Every year children from the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California (aged 7 and up) and other foundations are given the opportunity to attend Camp Hemotion. A camp just for those affected with a bleeding disorder.
Making the choice to send Scarlett to a week long camp was an incredibly tough decision, but I'm so grateful I agreed to let her go, as I know the memories and independence she gained will last her a life time. Last year Scarlett wanted to attend but I didn't think she was ready and I know I wasn't. So we set our sights on this summer and Scarlett had been eagerly awaiting it's arrival ALL year long.
I dropped her off on a Sunday. The bus picked her up in front of the Oakland Children's Hospital, which is about 2 hours away from my house. I remember the drive there that day, seemed to take forever. I think I had been in complete denial up to that point. I had been abnormally calm and walked into the situation thinking I was going to be fine. But as we started crossing the bridge and I knew we only had 20 minutes to our destination, I started to panic.
As tears kept rolling down my face I imagined all the things that could go wrong. . .What if she doesn't eat? What if she breaks a bone? What if she cries the whole time she's there? What if kids are mean to her? What if she gets sick? What if she hates it and never wants to go back? Why didn't they give me more information? Why didn't I ask for more information?
As I was arriving at our destination I realized I didn't have much info. I knew we weren't allowed contact. That the kids would be fully entertained and supervised the whole time and assured that food would not be an issue. My daughter doesn't eat anything and is one of the pickiest eaters I know, so you could imagine my fears as I set her off to a camp for 6 days that only served breakfast, lunch and dinner (not of your choice).
So I pulled into the parking lot, and was now trying to put on my brave face. I had my son and my niece with me as well, so my hands were full which helped a little. We hauled her suitcase, emergency bag, blankets, pillows and backpack down to the bus stop and were surprised to see only two other families waiting. But as the clock ticked on, more families started to show up, some of which were a familiar face for Scarlett which helped her dramatically. As our goodbyes started to become reality I stayed strong until I saw the bus pull away. With the support of some of my bleeder mamas from the community and tears rolling down my cheek, I sent my little princess off on a camp trip she would never forget.
The first day was the hardest. Not knowing how Scarlett was doing in camp was agonizing, I'm with my kids 24/7 and spending a week apart feels like months especially when I have no idea whats going on. The second was just as hard . . . I flooded social media with pleas for any information I could get, bugged counselors and thought the worst.
Temperatures were a sweltering 104, and I was terrified she was going to come home sunburnt, dehydrated and exhausted. The exhaustion ended up being true but she was taking care of on all other avenues beautifully. I tried to be good and send letters to her that would come everyday, she didn't do the same. We got through the week with several recaps on social media in which I found tons of pictures of my girls smiling face. She was singing, playing, swimming and looked like she was having a good time.
We picked her up the following Saturday. We were the first to arrive and waited an hour for the bus to come. As soon as the bus pulled up and the counselor came down the stairs we were handed our childrens injury reports (paperwork saying they had gone to the infirmary). Scarlett had one, she was having stomach pains. Oh no! my worst fears came true, she got hurt, she had a horrible time.
Scarlett walked off the bus looking exhausted. I couldnt tell right away what her reaction was to the whole experience but boy-oh-boy once she finally started talking, I was blown away by the stories I heard. It turns out Scarlett had more then a good time, she had the BEST time ever. She even got recognized at camp for having the best camp spirit and won the Todd Smith award, a prestigious recognition given only to one camper a year.She was in a cabin with 4 other 7 and 8 year olds that she said she got along with beautifully. She got up every morning and was swimming with the polar bear club by 7am. She played games, created art, and made new friends. She gained independence. Performed on stage and even received the butterfly award for infusing in a fake vein.
I later heard from other attendees that the second she walked off the bus she took on everything camp had to offer with eagerness and excitement. She helped others, asked for a hug when she needed one, and wasn't afraid of anything. She was the first to perform on stage and brought a spirit to camp that allowed her to make friends with bleeders of all ages, counselor too.
It's safe to say Scarlett will never forget her first year at Camp Hemotion and I have no doubt she will become a regular attendee for years to come. She already is asking when I can come be a counselor and is eager to become one herself once she's old enough. She made bonds that can't be broken and made memories that will stay with her for a long time.
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