From Diagnosis to Tradition

When Nori was just six years old, she started having unusual back pain. What was first written off as growing pains persisted and led to a visit to SickKids where she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in January 2021. The first few weeks were challenging and Nori wasn’t willing to interact with anyone. But as the days passed, she started to welcome Campfire Circle staff into her hospital room.

“We had a lot of fear and uncertainty,” says Jeffrey, Nori’s dad. “The Campfire Circle in-hospital team was critical for her and her well-being during our hospital stays. It was a very isolating time for us.”

After spending 120 nights in the hospital, that summer the family decided to attend their first overnight family camp program at Rainbow Lake. That week was the start of many more life-changing experiences. At camp, there was no need to sugarcoat their experiences—conversations flowed naturally, and the support felt effortless. Nori and her family have now been coming to family camp for four years in a row.

“It’s a tradition we look forward to every year,” says Jeffrey. “it’s a place where we had an opportunity to meet other families going through similar journeys and for Nori to play and be independent. You realize how well organized everything is from the Body Shop to the cabins. It’s the first time you feel comfortable since your initial diagnosis, you’re just so well taken care of,” says Jeffrey.”

At camp, Nori is in her element—crafting (which takes up at least 50-75% of her time!), making shrink art, creating melty beads, and braiding. She loves drumming in the music room and etching bling in the woodshop. This summer, Nori has decided she’s ready to take on overnight camp at Muskoka on her own—a huge step in her journey toward independence.

But before that the family plans on participating in the Sporting Life 10K, hoping to give back to a place that brought joy to their lives during a challenging time. They’ve seen firsthand how much time, energy, and resources go into making camp possible for kids like Nori.

“We want to contribute our part so other families can benefit from this amazing place. Camp has truly made a profound difference in Nori’s life, and ours as well. If the child is happy, the parents are, too, and so are the grandparents—it’s a big ripple effect.”

For Nori, camp has been a journey of transformation from uncertainty to confidence, from isolation to community. For her family, camp is a place where kids can rediscover themselves beyond their diagnosis, surrounded by people who truly understand. And it’s a reminder that even in the hardest times, there is space for the joy of childhood.