There Is No Right Way To Be A Cancer Family

Maddy sat bolt upright in her hospital bed, head tilted towards the hallway where we could hear the ‘plink, plink’ of a ukulele. Maddy loves music and dancing—and the oncology ward at Sick Kids was the last place we expected to experience music! Lo and behold it was a Campfire Circle volunteer. Because of Maddy’s brain tumour, we were in and out of the hospital for more than a year and a half, and Campfire Circle brought all of us so much joy at such a difficult time.

There is no right way to be a cancer family. Every family is different and unique, and Campfire Circle has always honoured our story and welcomed us with open arms. We really weren’t sure what to expect when we had our first camp experience, but it was everything we could have wished for and more. You can’t imagine how it feels to connect with other families who are walking their own path through cancer. Let’s face it: we’ve all been through the ringer since COVID. Add on a very sick child who is fighting cancer—it’s a double whammy. We’ve lost so much time, and so many moments together. Camp gives it back to us. We can’t wait to get back up to camp this summer. Really hoping to see another double rainbow this year!