A Dream Come True

Looking back at her family’s weekend at camp (WAC) experience, Nidra says it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“We loved every minute of it. Everything was accessible. It was amazing that I could take my son with his wheelchair on the high ropes,” says Nidra. “This makes me very emotional, but I could never have imagined Muhammad doing that kind of activity.”

Last fall, in partnership with Emily’s House Children’s Hospice in Toronto, and medical advisors from SickKids Complex Care team and SickKids Paediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT), Campfire Circle hosted a WAC for families of kids with medical complexities.

Nidra and her kids, eight-year-old Muhammad, and three-year-old Mustafa were among 16 families who visited Muskoka for a special weekend of nature, relaxation, and connection.

“It was truly amazing. We did all the activities because we could. When we went canoeing, the team placed a bean bag in the tiny canoe. They moved Muhammad from his wheelchair to the bean bag, and off we went! I have never seen him so happy. He even took a nap,” says Nidra.

Diagnosed with FOXG1 Syndrome, a rare disorder that affects brain development, Muhammad communicates non-verbally and feeds through a G-tube. Nidra never imagined her family could enjoy an overnight camp adventure outside the city, given her son’s high medical needs and the nursing care he requires.

“Muskoka was just so beautiful. It was a great opportunity to socialize, to have that break for myself, and to see your child doing all those activities that a child of his age without any medical needs could do.”

Camp was also an exciting experience for Mustafa too, who tried archery and participated in all the camp activities, from high ropes to decorating pumpkins.

“I’m still in awe of how that weekend came to be. Everything was lovely and the volunteers went out of their way to make those three days memorable for our family,” says Nidra.

On the second night at camp, during her reflection before bed, Nidra made a decision to become a monthly donor.

“Being there, I knew how much Campfire Circle was doing for families of children with special needs or with a medical complexity. I wanted to contribute so that it could bring a smile to other families who could not go to camp if not for the nursing support on-site, the accessible facilities, and great volunteers,” she says.

As we serve more kids with cancer or serious illness, monthly donations provide us the ability to better plan for the long term and expand our programs sooner, to reach more kids and families who could benefit from the social connection, joy and laughter that camp provides.

“These children, given their underlying medical fragility, their technology dependency and their need for caregiver and nursing support, often up to 24 seven hours in a day, they really can’t have that experience in other environments,” says Dr. Julia Orkin, the Medical Director of the Complex Care Program at SickKids. “So, the opportunity to be at a camp outside of the city, by the lake with their siblings, and their parents enjoying the special opportunities that come with camp is just remarkable. And really, there’s no other place in Canada and maybe even the world that offers this for children that we care for.”

For Nidra, she was excited to receive her Campfire Circle braid at camp, looking forward to the next time she can wear it with pride.