Double the Impact this Holiday Season for Kids and Families in Hospitals

Overcapacity continues to affect pediatric hospitals across Ontario. With limited respite for kids and families with cancer or serious illness living in hospital, the demand for interactive bedside programming has never been greater.

Coined as the “social cure,” Campfire Circle programs bring back joy and laughter through one-on-one experiences and camp-themed activities that improve kids’ mental health and help build resiliency in very challenging times.

Throughout December, Campfire Circle urges all Canadians to donate to our holiday campaign that focuses on our in-hospital programs. Donations made from now until December 31 will be double matched by the Ever Hopeful Fund to a maximum of $130,000. This will support critical social programs offered to kids and families at SickKids, McMaster Children’s Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre.

The impact of these gifts, such as a $25 slime-making kit or a $250 winter cheer pack filled with arts and crafts supplies, will help improve overall wellbeing, instill hope and give kids the space to just be kids—especially when they report higher feelings of isolation in hospital.

“Nick was being treated for brain cancer at McMaster,” says Tamara, Nick’s mom. “After his traumatic tumour surgery, he was not able to speak or move. He slowly started to come around, but for weeks he didn’t really wake up, just stirring. One day his hand twitched, and then another day his eyelids. Then he could squeeze my hand. The days and weeks are a blur…

“One day I was approached in the hallway by Sam from Campfire Circle, who struck up a conversation with me about Nick, asking what he liked, his interests. I had been in survival mode, and here was this burst of energy and positivity! Before I knew it, Sam had created these quizzes and trivia for him, and it was just amazing. His love of geography and our common love of Seinfeld!

“Sam really helped Nick cope with isolation and improved his mental health,” continues Tamara. “Sam filled a gap that our wonderful nurses and doctors couldn’t. She gave Nick reasons to be excited about something. She was there to make him smile, and we knew she really cared. We all looked forward to her visits, she was so lively and invested in keeping his spirits up. The days at the hospital are long and tiring. You feel like you’re there 25 hours a day, eight days a week. And it’s more than you can handle to keep up with medical needs—keeping him clean, feeding tube care, infection management, it’s exhausting. But then we have Campfire Circle both keeping him distracted AND bringing him his favourite thing ever, trivia! It was the perfect amount of fun and made every day better. Sam created this whole world for Nick, and it changed everything. It really was the magic of camp.”

Donating is easy—visit https://campfirecircle.org/giftsofmagic and select a Gift of Magic or make a custom donation.

Donations will have the double the impact so help spread the word to bring more joy, laughter and magic to kids in hospital this holiday season.