I was so nervous about sending Ben to overnight camp for the first time. Another heart mom and I agreed to send our boys to Camp Odayin together. We reminded each other that the kids were probably safer at camp than they were at home! We teared up when the bus left, but we knew our kids were in good hands and would have a great time. During the week, we spotted our boys in the photos and saw their big smiles. When my son got off the bus, he gave me a big hug and proclaimed that “it was the funnest camp ever!” Ben had a wonderful time trying new things and making new friends. We talked ahead of time about how all of the campers had special hearts, just like him. It was great for him to spend time with other kids in a similar situation. It’s been a rough few years with his fourth open heart surgery in the middle of a global pandemic. We are so grateful for the staff and volunteers who made this week possible.
Parent of Ben, a 9 year old camper
Anticipation, excitement, anxiety, elation…the return of our Residential Camp program had emotions running high this summer! Ultimately, it was amazing to be splashing in the lake, getting messy, and singing songs together again! We hosted 139 campers during two awesome camp sessions in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. We were sad to cancel our third Minnesota session for campers in grades 1-6 due to key program staff testing positive for COVID-19 before camp started. We missed seeing our youngest campers this summer!
Hearts@Home occurred this past weekend to connect children virtually, many of whom could not otherwise come to camp. One of the 29 campers in attendance at Hearts@Home shared, “Camp Odayin has changed my life for the better…” We too feel changed by each camper we spent time with this summer. We are thankful for the volunteer camp counselors, nurses and cardiologists who donated a week of their time! As for emotions, the ones we’re sitting with now are joy and gratitude. Thank you for supporting Camp Odayin. We hope sunny days have left your heart feeling warm as well!
