FALL 2024
Weather or Not, Camp For All 2U Delivers Smiles Thanks to YOU, Camp For All 2U, the award-winning program that brings the joy and excitement of Camp into hospitals for children receiving treatment or unable to attend our onsite Camp, lifted dampened spirits in the hallways of Texas Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands in the midst of Hurricane Beryl. In early July, as Hurricane Beryl made clear that its path would threaten the Greater Houston area, the team at Texas Children’s Hospital, which includes child life specialist Kelsi Martinez, made the difficult decision to allow Camp to continue as scheduled, despite the threatening weather. The inpatient campers ‘had a blast doing crafts and ‘canoeing on wheels,’ Kelsi said. “On that first A camper at Camp For All 2U day, a camper had tubes everywhere, doubled over his IV pole, and didn’t want his mom to leave and enjoys the peace of a by Friday he was running around like, “Bye, mom!” Another camper at TCH to receive antivenom meditative yoga session. for a snake bite was having so much fun, he had completely forgotten why he was at the hospital in the first place! Campers played games, participated in archery and yoga, and even got to playfully pie their favorite caregivers in the face, filling the “ On that halls with laughter and love. first day, It’s because of YOU that these stories come to life for campers a camper at Camp For All. Your support touches the lives of thousands of children had tubes and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs, whether everywhere, they are able to attend Camp in Burton, or at Camp For All 2U! But, the doubled impact you’ve made isn’t limited to the campers themselves. over his IV Campers canoe through the According to the staff at Texas Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands, hallways of Texas Children’s pole, and Hospital at The Woodlands. the benefits of Camp For All 2U touched everyone. One nurse dealing didn’t want with flood damage and a tree down on her home said walking through his mom to the Camp provided her relief, not even realizing how much she needed leave and TO READ MORE, it. Parents echoed this sentiment, some crying tears of joy when receiving by Friday he JUST SCAN! the call that Camp was still on. was running Thank you to our incredible Partners at Texas Children’s Hospital around like, for sharing this story with us, and thank you, our amazing supporters, for making it possible to weather the storm and provide a safe and joyous “Bye, mom!” environment to those who needed it most. This story has been excerpted from a story published by our Partners at Texas Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands. Photos are courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital