Sickle Cell Awareness Month: The Power of Camp

During Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September, we recognize the many campers we serve living with sickle cell disease – a condition that affects red blood cells and often leads to painful episodes, fatigue, and serious health complications. For kids, these challenges can feel especially isolating.

“Camp is so important for kids, in particular with sickle cell disease, because they live with this condition for their entire life,” says Dr. Shervette Stevens, a paediatric haematology/oncology fellow at SickKids. “So often, these kids suffer in silence because of the stigma associated with sickle cell disease. So camp is a way for them to have a sense of normalcy. You can see the smiles on their faces. They’re around other people with the same condition who understand their pain.”

Sickle cell disease is one of the serious illnesses that Campfire Circle now serves through week-long kids’ camps and family camps throughout the summer and all year round. Here, kids discover that they don’t have to face their journey alone. They can climb ropes, swim safely in a heated pool, or laugh around a campfire with friends who truly understand their condition. For many, it’s the first time they’re in a space where their illness doesn’t set them apart – it brings them together.

“Campfire Circle is important because you know that you’re not alone,” says camper Ethan. “It’s a beautiful place.”

“It makes me feel happy and it makes me feel like I’m not the only one with sickle cell,” says Carter.

Nya, another camper, agrees: “Being at camp makes me feel the same as everybody else. They all know what you’ve been through. And you can communicate about that, too.”

This Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we celebrate the resilience of kids like Ethan, Carter, and Nya. At Campfire Circle, they get to be just kids, and through our camp programs, we hope to continue to provide a sense of joy and connection to more kids and their families.

Help us deliver healing through happiness.