Local camp gives kids with cancer a break

Children suffering from cancer got to take a break from their problems and have a little fun this week at Camp Magical Moments, the camp for kids with cancer.

“I am having about a 10 from one through 10,” said Cole, a first time camper.

Neverland has come to Camp Magical Moments in Swan Valley. There’s fairies, Indians and even Captain Hook. The camp gives these kids an opportunity to realize they aren’t alone with their cancer.

“They’ve never understood that there’s other children that have cancer,” said Ann Walsh, owner and founder of Camp Magical Moments. “And so, they may be the only one in their school who is going through, you know, the chemo, or radiation, or losing your hair. And so, being able to come here and know that there’s other children who have survived their cancer, cause we have a lot of the older children who have been coming to camp for eight years. Just knowing that hey, I can get through this, and just being able to talk to the other kids about what it’s like to have cancer.”

The kids and adult volunteers bond over games, art and even food fights. Campers can feel like normal kids for a week and make life long friends.

“I’m glad because in my other school and I felt, well, alone,” Cole said. “And here you don’t feel alone? Nope, not at all.”

“It feels good,” said Wesley, a camper attending for his 7th year. “Like, my first year I was always nervous, I was nervous to come. It felt great to be myself around other people that have my problems.”

Some of the campers currently have cancer and some are in remission. There’s even a few past campers who came back to volunteer. In a life that can be full of doctors appointments and medication, Camp Magical Moments continues to give them smiles, laughs and endless memories.

“It helped a lot,” Wesley said. “It gave me a lot of happiness. I kind of forgot all my problems being here and just had fun.”

This is the 14th year for the camp.