SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH LIFE THREATENING ILLNESSES & THEIR FAMILIES
Camp
Sunshine Wisconsin supports children with lifethreatening
illnesses and their families. Camp is modeled after,
and is being coordinated by, Camp
Sunshine at Sebago Lake, Inc. in Casco, Maine. The camp has the distinction of being
one of the only programs in the nation whose mission is
to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on
every member of the immediate family—the ill
child, the parents, and the siblings.
Families
with a child diagnosed with cancer attend one of the week-long
camps. Our focus is on alleviating the strain that
a life threatening illness takes not only on the sick child
but also on other family members. Families have an
opportunity to rebuild their relationships together and meet
other families facing similar challenges.
Free
quality services are provided at the camp including accommodations
and meals, onsite medical services, counseling services,
and recreational facilities. While the camp is in session,
each family stays in their own cabin, lunch, and dinner are
served each day.
Volunteers,
except for those who live nearby, also stay on the property. Camp
Sunshine Wisconsin is staffed almost entirely by volunteers,
many of whom return year after year. The volunteers
reflect the diversity of the families and help with recreational
leadership, childcare, food service and whatever else needs
to be done.
Another
distinctive component of the program is the medical facilities
and professional staff that are available to address the
taxing physical needs of children with intrusive diseases. A
physician is located at the camp for the entire session so
that families can be secure in the knowledge that the camp
offers 24-hour onsite medical support.
Recreational
hours allow children to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures
of childhood while their parents find quiet moments to walk
by the lake and reaffirm their support for one another. In
addition, games and events are designed to foster family
involvement, encouraging families to laugh and play as a
unit. This approach builds a new foundation the family
can take with them when the camp is over to unite them during
the darker times they will face.
Each
family is sponsored by an individual, civic group, corporation,
or foundation, which enables a family to spend a week at
Camp Sunshine Wisonsin free of charge. The sponsorship for
one family to participate in the week-long program is $1,500. The
Family Sponsorship Program provides a way for donors to sponsor
a family or families from their geographic area.
A
retreat for children with life threatening illnesses and
their families.
The Camp Sunshine Wisconsin Program is FREE. |