Twins have Life-changing Enjoyable at Camp – Camp Hearth Central Puget Sound

Jessica Adams wasn’t certain if it was doable for her medically advanced, “neurospicy” 7-year-old son to have the sort of carefree enjoyable she skilled at summer time camp as a child. Jamie has a number of particular wants from being born untimely. He’s legally blind, has extreme lung points, and half his physique is weaker than the opposite due to a tethered spinal twine. He has developmental delays, autism, and ADHD. 

Jamie and his twin sister Lily had tried a couple of camps previously, however none of them labored out — till they got here to Vashon Day Camp this summer time at Camp Sealth.

“Oh my gosh, they had SUCH a blast!” Jessica mentioned. “The counselors said they did great. Every day, I was like, ‘Are you sure this isn’t too much?’ and they said, ‘No, he’s good. He’s great.’”

Camp Sealth provides an inclusive and supportive setting for younger individuals and households with particular wants of all types, from disabilities and accessibility must continual medical circumstances and neurodiversity. The identical is true of all our packages, in the summertime and all year long.

Each week at Camp Sealth, there are three healthcare professionals who dispense drugs, present first help, and handle campers’ information and care plans for kids with medical wants and diagnoses that require particular consideration. 

Jessica referred to as Camp Sealth forward of time to fill them in on additional assist Jamie would wish right here and there. He was simply beginning to study to make use of his strolling cane, for instance, so counselors may assist him follow. Having a hand to carry whereas strolling on bumpy roads may forestall falls. He would in all probability want an occasional break from group actions, so counselors gave him time and house to decide on various things to do. 

“One time, a counselor took him to play with water and wash a car,” Jessica mentioned. “He absolutely loved it. He raved about how he got to wash a car — for, like, three days afterwards.”

Lily additionally had a good time. Her favourite actions: tie-dying shirts and visiting the horses. Jessica cherished listening to her spunky lady come dwelling and inform her about new associates she had made. “She got to have her own camp experience without being tied down by the differences,” Jessica mentioned.

Lily and Jamie are “built-in best buddies” and homeschooled. This was the primary time that they had ever spent many of the day without work on their very own, Monday via Friday. They had such a good time their first week, they went again once more in mid-August — staying in a single day as soon as every week. 

“I was so amazed at how well it went,” Jessica mentioned. “It was life-changing.” 

Jessica had by no means had a lot time to herself and was amazed at how rejuvenating it felt to exit to lunch with associates, to scrub the home with out it getting messy over again 5 minutes later, and to simply calm down.

“My soul felt so refreshed and regenerated after those two weeks,” Jessica mentioned. “It was an incredible, incredible experience. We’ll definitely keep coming back year after year.”