RAINBOW LAKE FAMILY CAMP

Why Family Camp Matters

When a child is diagnosed with cancer or a serious illness, life changes overnight. Hospital visits, treatment schedules, fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion quickly become part of a family’s daily rhythm. Moments of rest – true rest – can feel impossible. That’s why places like Rainbow Lake matter so deeply.

For Mikelle and her family, the impact began just three months after her son Keanan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). They arrived at their first family camp experience unsure and overwhelmed. But what they discovered was something they didn’t know they desperately needed: space to breathe again.

“As soon as you pull into Rainbow Lake, there’s this calm that comes over you,” said Mikelle. “You’re welcomed with bright colours, big smiles, and you can just be silly – and I don’t get to be silly in any other part of my life.”

Family Camp offered more than activities and fresh air – it offered reconnection. With no additional family support, Mikelle and her husband were busy managing caregiving schedules of their three kids. But at Rainbow Lake, they found themselves asking a question that felt almost foreign: “Do you want to go for a walk together?”

With volunteers engaging their children – aged seven, four, and even their four-month-old baby – Mikelle experienced ease, something she hadn’t felt in months. “It was probably the first time in a long time that my husband and I were able to just be together,” she said. “Being from Sarnia, having Rainbow Lake so close meant that we could actually get away as a family, and still feel worlds apart from everything we were dealing with.”

But the impact didn’t end with one weekend. For eight years, Rainbow Lake became an anchor for their family. Campfire Circle became a place to return to – through in-person camps, sibling programs, patient programs, and even virtual experiences throughout the pandemic.

“I wish donors could see the impact,” Mikelle said. “Not just the weekend itself, but the long-term impact – how it brings fun and happiness to your life when some families might not have that otherwise.”

And perhaps most profoundly, camp supported them through an ever-evolving cancer journey – one that, as Mikelle emphasizes, doesn’t end when treatment ends. “It really is a lifetime journey and opportunities at Rainbow Lake help you grow together as a family.”