Serving Serious Illnesses in London

Here in London, our Campfire Circle in-hospital team is super unique because we offer programs for nearly all paediatric patients. This means a kid receiving chemotherapy can share a room with a kid receiving treatment for a blood disorder. We also help kids and families from as far away as Thunder Bay.

When I first connect with families in hospital, I bring slime—it’s always a hit! And I love when kids teach me how to level up my slime game. A 13-year-old taught me how to make fluffy and cloud slime. Who knew? Slime is also a hit with teens because it’s a great way to chat while keeping our hands busy.

One of the highlights of the week is our group program. Every Thursday afternoon, families come together for games, crafts, and shared activities. I just heard from a family that they try to schedule medical appointments around it because it’s the highlight of being in the hospital! When kids are ready to be discharged, they ask if they can keep coming to our group program—that tells me that, together, we are doing something right!

I hear from parents or caregivers that they feel their child, who they know and love, gets lost in treatment: medications, stress, weight gain and loss, feeding challenges and more. But when kids smile and laugh with joy doing camp activities, parents and caregivers say: “This is who my kid is! This is who they are!”

I recently connected with another camper who attended camp this summer, along with other kids and families with serious blood disorders. Normally quiet and shy, I asked her about camp, and she lit up. She said, “it was so nice to be around other people with the same stuff as me.” Once she got rolling, she shared story after story: her nickname was “Marshmallow Monster!” I saw her change into a joyful, confident person who was excited to share stories. The nurses and other medical staff even reached out to us and shared how much she had grown!

-Kat, In-Hospital Programs Specialist

Donate Today

When you donate to our holiday campaign, you’re helping Kat and other In-Hospital Program Specialists serve more kids with life-impacting illnesses across the province. Your donations ensure every kid can receive the joy and laughter of camp, regardless of their medical diagnosis. Give today and your gift will be triple matched!