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Summerfest '09
June 28 - July 10
By Jessica Einhorn
When I was a young girl, I went to Camp Winnebago, an overnight camp in Northern Ontario. Having gone to two other camps the summers before and not enjoying my time, I felt that I certainly wouldn't enjoy my time at this new camp. "The kids will be mean, the food will be bad, I'll miss you." In reality, I had such a good time there for that one month that I begged my parents to let me stay the whole summer the next year. I ended up going to that camp for five years, an experience I wouldn't give up for the world. At camp, there were no worries like, "Do I know enough for school in September?" or "Will that boy in my class ask me out?" Your only worry was what activity you would do during the day and if you were going to stay up late with the other cabin mates after lights out. You could go sailing and horseback riding and other exciting things you could never do back in the city. The girls in my cabin became my family every summer, and I felt like I wasn't a square peg in a round hole anymore.
For some people, this experience isn't possible. Summer camp is expensive and can cost families thousands of dollars just for a summer, but some companies are working to make camp accessible for children who would otherwise not have the chance to go. The same story goes for epilepsy. If you have seizures, there's a chance you won't be allowed water activities or canoe trips or even a night away from your parents due to an unforeseen seizure or other emergency. There was a girl in my cabin who would have a seizure once a summer, incapacitating her for the rest of the day. For those with more frequent and severe seizures, that could mean they would never get the chance at all.
Good News! There is a camp in Ontario that is making a difference for children who would normally be unable to go to camp. That camp is Summerfest at Camp Couchiching, a summer camp in Longford Mills, just an hour and a half away from the Greater Toronto Area. This camp is integrated with all the accommodations for campers without disabilities, along with campers with epilepsy for a special two week period. There are registered nurses and a therapist on site every day, along with trained counselors and other staff. For Summerfest, Epilepsy Ontario hires additional nursing staff and provides mentoring for children requiring one on one supervision. Our mission statement is "to provide excellence in camping while fostering individual growth…" and we strive to help children make long lasting friendships and learn life lessons while having a fun time and enjoying life as a kid at camp.
I spoke to one of their senior campers, a 16 year old girl named Zoe. She has been going to Summerfest for ten years and cannot say enough things about it. She has been mentioned in the Toronto Star under an article for the same camp. Talking to her felt like talking to anyone from my old camp; she was cheerful on the phone when talking about "Cooch" and Summerfest. She is a talented swimmer, competing in the special Olympics and enjoys sailing at camp. I asked her to give me a typical day at camp. Morning starts with raising the flag at flagpole, and then breakfast. Activities such as swim and sailing, windsurfing and arts and crafts occur during the morning and afternoon with lunch in between. There is an hour of rest, dinner, an after-dinner scheduled activity and then bedtime. It sounded exactly like my old camp. She told me that going to camp was one of her favourite things, and that going to camp made her forget about her epilepsy and have fun. Her younger sister Skye also goes to camp Couchiching, although in another age unit.
Summerfest is an incredible opportunity for children living with epilepsy to experience an amazing summer.
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