Our people

How do you sum up a life-changing four-day event? I’m not sure there are even words that can fully describe the emotions that I feel. Every year we leave Camp No Limits with new friends and closer bonds to our old friends. Who knew it was possible to love people after only knowing them for four short days?  I can tell you that I know, I’ve experienced it, year after year when we attend CNL. It’s life-changing each and every time.

This was our second year at Camp No Limits Idaho. The location is breath taking. Those of you who have read about it before on the blog already know. Those of you who haven’t, let me share again. You arrive to a dock on the lake. You unload your stuff onto a boat and then take a short boat ride across the lake where you stay for the next four days. It’s rustic and perfect.

To be honest, I could spend anywhere with these people. We’ve been to Florida Camp No Limits, Maine Camp No Limits and Idaho Camp No Limits… there’s many other locations that we haven’t even explored. It’s not about the location. It’s about the people.  These people are unlike any others that you’ll meet. You go from complete strangers to know some very intimate details of their lives in such a short time. Dawson (one of the teen campers) hit the nail on the head when he said “these are my people”.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to share some highlights of our trip and OUR PEOPLE!

CAMP NO LIMITS all booked!

This picture was taken just last weekend while we were camping. Bella and I were walking around the camp ground just the girls. Dirty from camping all weekend, hiking, biking and exploring... BUT living our best life, in nature, with the ones we love.

Camping is one of our favorite things to do in the spring, summer and fall. It means disconnecting from life, phones, electronics. It means building bonds and making memories. That's what summer vacation is all about in my eyes.

Summer last year meant exploring Camp No Limits Idaho for the first time. We've explored others but we fell deeply in love with Idaho, the people, the location, the rustic cabins. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE Camp No Limits and every single location we've attended. Idaho camp just felt like we had found our home. While I totally realize that it's NOT a location for everyone, it was the prime location for us. It's rustic, like really rustic. We were "warned" if you will by other families and staff and I swore it was right up our alley. We got some side eyes and some laughs. Really though, it was. I barely got cell service, yay me! I was able to really focus on connecting with my kids, the other families there. One of my favorite pictures is a picture of a sibling at camp that's slathered in sunscreen that's not fully rubbed in. It was the first camp that we left that Bella cried, like body shaking cries.

We saw old friends and we made plenty of new friends. We literally can't wait to go back. We are counting down! Tickets were purchased, application was accepted... now to book a car rental and we are good to go! A little over a month to go, but who's counting? Oh that's right WE ARE!!

Camp No Limits- Day Two

I swear, each day of Camp No Limits gets better. You never want it to end. What's not to love? There are tons of new friends, some old friends, kayaking, paddle boarding, eating, crafts, games, swimming, exploring, learning, endless support... Yep, every single minute I love.

Each morning starts the same at camp. Breakfast around 8 am for about an hour then energizers. Energizers are energizing! You dance and laugh to start the day, do some core work, do some stretching, seriously we should start every day like this. It always brings a smile to your face.

After energizers, we break into groups. PT, OT, and sibling groups are the first groups of the day. Usually the upper extremity groups works on some life skills, like shoe tying, braids, pony tails, buttons, zippers, socks... I know the lower extremity groups work on running but I'm not sure what else since I'm usually hanging with Bella in the upper extremity group. This year at camp, Bella taught a girl, J., a tad bit older that has two hands, how to tie a shoe with one hand. J was more than attentive and really interested in Bella teaching her. It was so sweet to watch them both. Bella's passion about teaching and sharing how she does things. J focusing and determined to learn while being kind and warm to Bella.

Sibling groups are super fun, just ask our boys! They went kayaking, paddle boarding and who knows what else. I do know that the boys come back and really want to go back with the sibling group. They love every moment of sibling group!

After this is lunch, then peer support group. Again, siblings go off and do one thing. "Campers" like Bella go to a support group that us parents are allowed to attend. Parents go to another support group.  This is super helpful for all parents and it also helps you get to know the other parents. This year, I learned a ton from parent support group about prosthetic costs and such. I feel like every single person in the group is valuable and brings more to the group.

Next up for Idaho Camp No Limits, changing and water front! The waterfront is super rocky. They did say on the website that water shoes would be helpful and I almost laughed outloud. Water shoes and fanny packs go in the same category... seriously people, I'm so glad I bought some. The waterfront is super rocky and would have been pretty painful without water shoes. Mine were super cute too... or not... I mean can water shoes be cute? 

Bella also got one on one swimming lessons from Travis, he's an incredible dude! Bella ran down the hill earlier in the day yelling "Daddy" and it was actually Travis. They both have dark hair, big beards, board shorts and are built similar. She got all the way to him before she realized he wasn't her Dad! I knew from further up the hill but let her get all the way there. It was hilarious! Back to the swim lessons, Travis was a swim instructor for many, many years and he spent a chunk of time really helping Bella. What a great dude! 

Next up, changed, dinner then Human Clue. Apparently it's a Camp No Limits Idaho tradition. It was unforgettable. It was so fun and every single person that was involved had a great time. I didn't take a single picture because we were too busy trying to figure out which person committed the crime, where and with what. Super fun! 

The nights at all the different camps we've attended, ends in a campfire. CNL Idaho was just the same... except Mel melted all the marshmallows together so no one could eat them (JK Mel- we love you). Bella stayed up and we put the boys to bed. The beauty of the end of the night is that there are so many parents you've met that any number of them will watch after Bella so the boys can go to bed. There's also the "bigger" campers, like Sydney, Keagan, Jamie... and a number of others. Off to bed they went and she put some gooey marshmallows together and made a s'more. 

Day two did not disappoint, are you ready for what day three offered? 

Big thanks to all of the volunteers!

A big thank you to all of those that volunteered for Camp No Limits Idaho. Volunteers can truly make or break a camp. They help with occupational therapy, physical therapy, sibling groups, energizers... I mean they help with everything! They take on whatever role they need to in the moment.

Thank you for being adaptable, open minded, compassionate, passionate, caring and kind. Your energy makes all the difference. You all should have seen the volunteers during energizers in the morning, they were all over the place! They danced, they encouraged other campers to dance and siblings too. They created such a great energy at camp for everyone.

As a mother of a camper AND siblings, I appreciate everything you did to help this camp run smoothly. Having the sibling programs makes it possible for me to be part of Bella's therapies and activities. It also allowed me to spend time in parent support group. Missy goes out of her way to have fun activities with the sibling campers! Without all of you, I'm not sure Missy could (or would want to!) handle our two boys in addition to all of the other siblings. Having volunteers helps parents to be more at ease and know that all the siblings are getting plenty of attention AND having plenty of fun! Trust me, the boys had a great time and were telling us all about the activities that you did with them. They truly enjoyed every moment of camp, just as they did in years past!

I enjoyed having you be part of the parent support group as well. As I mother, this year, I learned a tremendous amount about Shriners, insurance and cost of prosthetics. I received support and encouragement from so many parents and volunteers. As a pediatric nursing professor, this also opened my eyes up to life outside of the hospital world. It allows me to see that these kids live full, fulfilled lives with a variety of limb differences and amputations. It allows me to go back and share with my students the things we as nurses should be aware of when dealing with patients and families in these situations. I talked to so many volunteers who said the same thing. I hope this opened your eyes and you'll share this information with your colleagues as well. 

Thank you for pushing our kids. Thank you for lifting them up, for creating trust with them, for encouraging them. Dylan watched Bella use her prosthetic and having him watch her and ask questions meant a lot to her. I only mention that because I was right there when he was there. I know there are a number of you I haven't mentioned by name but that doesn't mean I appreciate you any less. Bella really enjoyed not having me there with her for every moment, Miss Independent. Having volunteers and people other than her parents push her is highly important!

You each really took the time to get to know the campers and talk to them. You created lasting impacts on their lives and our lives. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!!

Arriving

The first day at a new Camp No Limits is always exciting but a little nerve wracking too. Did we pack all of the right things? What did we forget (because you know there's something!)? Who will we meet? Will this be the camp that we want to come back to year after year? Will this be like all of the other camps? What will be different from the different locations? How will the families be different? How many volunteers will there be? Will there be a sibling program? Will there be something new? What will Bella master this year? Where will we sleep? What will the food be like? Will there be any downtime? Will we sleep at all? What will it be like without Mary? Will we pick up with old friends just like before? How many new friends will we meet?

It's safe to say the questions that flood my mind are never-ending. It's also safe to say that after four times of attending Camp No Limits in three different locations that it's something I would be heart broken to miss. It's an experience like no other that's virtually impossible to put into words. That's one of the reasons that we've raised funds to send three other families.

Back to arrival day... we arrived late due to driving around the lake for a good hour and a half. Go figure. Not ideal but also not the end of the world. This is by far the most remote camp! You arrive at a dock, use your cell phone to call Camp Cross and they send a pontoon boat over to pick you and your luggage up to transport back to camp. We left our rental car, rode across the lake and took in the amazing views, while watching a bald eagle fly overhead.

Introductions were under way when we arrived and lunch was complete... only we hadn't had lunch! The kitchen was nice enough to be sure we all ate. Bella and  I stayed for introductions, while the boys all ate. Then we swapped. I inhaled because I didn't want to miss anything and Bella flat out refused and ate an apple instead. How dare I even ask her to come away from the group!

Waterfront activities followed. The "beach" is a rock beach. Some sort of water shoes were pretty much a must for most people. There's a swimming area that's deeper at one end as well as a side for water activities, like canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and paddle boating. Grayson tried the stand up paddle board that was donated to Camp No Limits and didn't do too bad! Luca and I kayaked around for a bit, he was a free loader and I did all of the paddling. It was fun though and we chatted about what we saw around us.

Bella tried kayaking with her new sports arm. She was less than thrilled about using it. It's a new tool for her, which creates a challenge. I "made her" try it for about 10 minutes. Yes, tears fell, yes she was NOT happy with me, yes I was the worst mother on the planet. Here's the thing, you don't just get a new tool without a few errors. You try it and try again until you get it right. Yes I "forced her" (her words) to use it. She's not used to using her elbow and shoulder in the motion necessary for kayaking so her prosthetic popped out from the paddle a few times. This pissed her off to say the least! Either way, it's trial and error and she'll have to practice which will help her find a way that this new tool is useful for her.

Then we had a short break to change for dinner. Dinner was decent. I was warned that it was edible and that was about it. Apparently, Camp Cross has upped their game. It wasn't bad. They have family style meals, so there's a bowl of each item at your table. It's free seating. This is where you lose your kid (or at least Bella) because she's already made too many friends to be bothered sitting with her parents.

Next up, a family art project. This was a really cool idea! I brought ours home and can't wait to frame it. It's the perfect addition to our house and a strong example of working together. Way to go Camp No Limits staff for coming up with this one!

Then, campfire and smores! The kids LIVE for smores, it's likely one of their favorite parts of family camping trips. It's no different for Camp No Limits, they know that it's a tradition to have a fire at each location. We opted to put the boys to bed here and the rest of us enjoyed the fire while they slept.

We made some great connections day one. We welcomed some new campers into the Camp No Limits family and we joined the Idaho Camp No Limits family. Friends were made by all... wait until you hear what day two brings!

Sibling care

Yesterday, after we received Bella's prosthetic, we had another appointment for one of her brothers. Bella and Grayson attend "sibling care" at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin while I attend the appointment with Luca. It's a really great resource for the siblings, they get a lot of attention, there's tons of toys and creative activities and the get to interact with some really great people. Mary is one of them.

I've worked with Mary at Children's for many years. She's held a number of roles. She's also married to one of the chaplain's who I happen to adore. I've been able to interact with her on a nurse level and now as a parent. She's amazing.

I dropped the kids at sibling care yesterday and carried on at my appointment with Luca. It takes about an hour each time and we have weekly appointments. Bella and Grayson have grown familiar with Mary and are very comfortable with her.

Bella wanted to share with Mary that she had just picked up her prosthetic. Mary asked "can I ask some questions and you can say pass if you don't want to answer?" Once again, she's amazing and the one she prefaced this to Bella was so kind. Bella said "Sure"

"Were you born without your hand or did something happen?"

"I was born like this."

"So you've never been able to experience life with two hands."

"No"

"Soooooo tell me what was it like to put on the prosthetic for the first time? Was it just ok? Was it totally awesome? was it different?"

"It was TOTALLY awesome!"

I could hear the excitement in Bella's voice and my heart skipped a beat. I gave Mary the look... how kind and loving that she asked her and genuinely showed her excitement for Bella. We continued to talk about Camp No Limits and how she'll learn to really use it this coming weekend. Mary expressed her interest, wrote down the name of camp and told Bella she couldn't wait to hear all about it. Mary's expressions on her face said it all and Bella's face lit up.

After all the struggles with appointments, all the back and forth of driving, all of the complete exhaustion on my part, the tears on her part from being stuck in a car... the world melted away and it was all worth it. In that moment, everything I've worked so hard to do for this girl came back to me ten fold. I had done something that was so much more then fight with insurance and tons of driving. I had helped her to open doors ahead of her. I had helped her to realize that we will fight to the ends of the earth for her. I had given it my all and it was worth it. SHE was worth it. This moment was worth it.