Nine-year-old Kursten was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in late 2025.

For mom Kriszella, everything changed very suddenly. “It was a lot of back-and-forth,” she explains. “She would be admitted for a few days, then sent home, and then readmitted again because of pain or fever. It was a very difficult and uncertain time for all of us.”

Kursten was eventually admitted to SickKids for treatment and prescribed a lengthy schedule, including 14 rounds of chemotherapy. The family had just relocated to Barrie from Toronto a few months earlier but found themselves once again uprooting their lives. Kriszella, Kursten, and her two younger brothers, Kurtis and Keithan, moved into temporary housing at Ronald McDonald House to be close to the hospital. Life was quickly consumed by treatments and hospital visits.

“We go to the hospital expecting that we’re going to be there for no less than six hours, and that’s almost every day,” Kriszella explains. “Even during the weeks that she’s supposed to take a break, we still have to go to do her blood work.”

For Kursten and her family, Campfire Circle’s in-hospital programming at SickKids has become a lifeline. “They’ve helped so much, to be honest,” says Kriszella. “It’s really become part of her routine whenever she goes to the hospital, and she’s made friends with everybody there.”

Whether at The Cabin, our dedicated, play space at SickKids, or at the clinic, Kursten dives into arts and crafts with the Campfire Circle team whenever possible, frequently joined by her brother Kurtis. Kriszella even recalls an evening where Kursten, after being discharged at 7 p.m., begged to stay at the hospital an extra hour just to spend more time at The Cabin.

Kriszella says that Campfire Circle gives Kursten something to look forward to during the long days of chemotherapy. “It got to the point where she was just down on everything,” says Kriszella, “She lost her hair, she wasn’t able to walk or even move at all. Campfire Circle gave us the hope that we needed. It gave her the chance to be a kid again even while doing these treatments.”

Kriszella says that it’s been powerful to learn that some of the Campfire Circle staff at SickKids have their own childhood experiences with serious illness. “To have these people around us that know how it is, that have gone through it,” she explains. “I think it gives her strength.”

The family has always loved camping and spending time outdoors, but Kursten’s illness left them wondering whether those adventures were behind them. When a nurse at SickKids, who also volunteers with Campfire Circle, mentioned that medically supported overnight camps might be a good fit, Kriszella was thrilled.

Knowing that there would be medical professionals on-site was a huge relief. That same day, Kriszella started the application process.

The family experienced a Weekend at Camp last April at Campfire Circle Muskoka. “It was incredible,” says Kriszella. “As soon as we left the parking lot, my kids were asking, ‘Mommy, did you sign us up for the summer camp?”

This summer, Kursten and her family took part in their first full week of family camp at Rainbow Lake. It was exactly what they needed.

For the kids, the adventures were nonstop. “Kursten went up the high ropes, she did archery, arts and crafts, and swimming; she went canoeing and fishing,” says Kriszella. “To be honest, I did not expect us to be able to do all of this because of her diagnosis. Campfire Circle made that happen for us.”

More than anything, camp gave the family a chance to feel like themselves again.

“It’s just amazing to see Kursten do the things that I was so worried that she wouldn’t be able to do anymore.”

For Kriszella, the week also offered a rare opportunity to step back and recharge. “As a caregiver, to even get an hour break for yourself, is so needed. To know that there are these people that you could rely on to take care of your kids at that moment, it means so much to me.”

One of the family’s favourite memories was jumping in the lake together. It’s become a symbol of their strength and hope for the future.

With every activity Kursten tried and every challenge she conquered, her confidence grew. “At camp, she became more optimistic that she’s capable of doing things that she thought she couldn’t,” explains Kriszella. “It gives her a lot of hope.”