Finding His Place at Campfire Circle

When Ollie was seven years old, his world changed in an instant. In November 2019, he was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK positive) – a rare and aggressive form of cancer. After two rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer relapsed in his central nervous system, and Ollie lost his sight permanently.

“Those were terrifying days,” says Ollie’s mom, Dawn. “We were thrown into a world of hospitals, treatments, and uncertainty. But even in the hardest moments, Ollie never lost his light.”

Ollie’s journey through treatment was long and isolating – intensive chemotherapy, brain and spine radiation, and a stem cell transplant donated by his sister, Abby. Much of it unfolded during the pandemic, when hospital rooms replaced classrooms and playgrounds.

“All I wanted was for him to feel like a kid again,” says Dawn. “To laugh, to play, to belong.”

That wish came true through Campfire Circle.

The family first met Campfire Circle at SickKids, where staff brought crafts and laughter into Ollie’s hospital room. “They made the hospital feel less like a place of pain and more like a place of possibility,” says Dawn.

Then, they met a Campfire Circle volunteer at another camp who convinced them to try overnight sessions at Muskoka. “She told me that they can provide one-on-one support for kids like Ollie. That really opened the door for us to consider it,” says Dawn.

This past summer, at age 13, Ollie came to Muskoka for a full week of camp.

“I was nervous,” says Ollie. “I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know what the cabins would be like or if I could get around. But the moment I got off the bus, everyone was cheering. I thought, ‘Wow… this is going to be different.’”

From music and arts to swimming and campfires, Ollie embraced it all. “At Campfire Circle, you get to do pretty much everything,” he says. “You never get bored.”

As a goalie in the Canadian Blind Hockey league, Ollie was thrilled to learn Joe Baldisi, a Toronto Marlies player was volunteering at camp that week. “We set up a game, and I brought a ball with bells inside so I could hear it.”

Other campers and staff joined in, including Camp Director Ken. “It was a lot of fun. Our team won,” says Ollie. “Before I left, Joe gave me one of his game-used sticks!”

Another highlight for Ollie came at the camp talent show, when he performed the Campfire Circle song “This Is My Place” with the Campfire Circle Band and the counsellors who had taught it to him.

“I play guitar and want to be a music therapist someday,” says Ollie. “Learning that song meant a lot because it’s about everyone having a place where they belong. The words don’t just fit kids with cancer – they fit anyone who’s different or going through something.”

When the week ended, Ollie came home tired but glowing. “He got off the bus and said, ‘It was awesome. I can’t wait to go back next year,’” says Dawn.

For Ollie, the moments that stood out most weren’t just about sports or music – they were about connection. He was surrounded by peers who understood what it’s like to grow up with illness and disability, and by counsellors who encouraged his independence.

Campfire Circle isn’t just another camp, but a place he can call his.