“Camp provided experiences for Hope I could never have imagined from horseback riding to boat rides. She was in her absolute glory at Camp and as a family, we looked forward to it because we knew how much she loved it.”
My connection to SaskAbilities spans over thirty years. I worked in fundraising at the Regina Branch and was involved in the 24-hour relay. At that time, I also had a daughter, Hope, who was asphyxiated at birth, resulting in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. During my employment, the Regional Director of the Saskatoon Branch at that time, Ken, called me out for not sending my daughter Hope to Camp Easter Seal. He said I was a hypocrite, and he was right. Here I was promoting how wonderful Camp was and yet I was hesitant to send my daughter.
Hope was very medically involved, having a seizure disorder, a tracheostomy tube, and a feeding tube, she was non-verbal although very communicative, but I feared that Camp wouldn’t be able to support my daughter’s needs. I also didn’t like being called a hypocrite so the decision was made to send Hope to Camp, along with her caregiver Sherri. Now me being that overprotective mother, I stayed at the regional campgrounds with a friend whose son was also attending Camp Easter Seal that summer just so I could be close by.
I remember that first year, dropping Hope and Sherri off with all the equipment she needed at Camp, and then later coming back. I was looking all over for them, thinking Sherri was probably feeding Hope in bed which is what I always did. I checked the Pillbox (Camp’s medical facility) but they weren’t there. I checked the chalet and the food hall; they weren’t there either. So, I went to the front desk and the staff said they were off having a picnic. There outside in the front, Hope’s feeding bag was hanging from a tree and she was laying on a blanket, moving her arms and her legs with a smile as big as could be, just the happiest I’d ever seen her. I started to cry at that moment. Don’t get me wrong, I had taken Hope on lots of picnics with our family but I always made sure that she would eat before we went. Seeing her on this picnic with her new Camp friends is a memory that will be forever etched in my mind. Sherri said that night Hope fell asleep with a smile on her face as she often did while at Camp.
Camp Easter Seal provided experiences for Hope I could never have imagined from horseback riding to boat rides. She was in her absolute glory at Camp and, as a family, we looked forward to it because we knew how much she loved it. Hope attended Camp up until her health started to deteriorate and it became too difficult for her to go. The decision to stop sending Hope was a difficult one. As a parent, one of the most important things that I observed at Camp was every single staff member saw my daughter as a child first not as a child with disabilities.
I can tell you that I would later write a letter to Ken thanking him for pushing me to send Hope to Camp because it truly was a magical experience for her. In 1998 Hope returned to Camp Easter Seal, we cut the ribbon on a new cabin and that was a really special moment for the both of us. Hope passed away in 2006 and although she lived a short life and it wasn’t always easy, I know she lived a full life. The memories of Hope at Camp are some of the happiest, smiling from ear to earcand laughing so hard liquids were flying out of her tracheotomy tube – I can still hear her laughter. The impact of Camp went beyond Hope’s experiences of joy, we are often recounting memories with her former caregiver Sherri, my husband, and daughter Erin. It is a special place for our whole family.
As a former employee and now a Board Member of SaskAbilities, people might think I’m biased when I talk about the impact of SaskAbilities but I also have the vantage point of being a parent of a child with disabilities and an overprotective one at that! I’m always saying that Camp Easter Seal is like Disney World for people experiencing disability because it’s true. I am so thankful that Hope got to experience so many “normal” kids’ activities at Camp. I would not have trusted any other place with the safety of my daughter and I am so grateful that Camp exists in our community.
Hope was my greatest teacher; she taught me a lot about myself and I believe it is because of her that I was connected with SaskAbilities. I’m grateful my daughter’s legacy continues in the work I do as a Board Member and as a supporter and donor of Camp Easter Seal and SaskAbilities.