Many of us are familiar with the disease known as cancer. It is a debilitating disease that claims the lives of millions of people each year, with the people that develop it finding themselves struggling to engage with their lives in the same manner. And for those with family, especially children, both parties often find themselves deeply affected by it. Despite this, the staff at Camp Kesem refuse to let that stop them from giving a smile to those who need it.
Camp Kesem is a week-long summer program where kids with parents who have been diagnosed with cancer can come together to talk about and overcome their experiences via the various activities hosted by the staff. The organization has over 100 camps across the nation, with one of them being NCSU’s camp.
“Imagine working 51 weeks per year and then having one week be the best of your life,” said Annalise Boese, co-director of NCSU’s Camp Kesem chapter. “That final week reminds us of why we’re doing this. We actually get to see the kids, hang out with them, support them, it’s an invaluable experience.”
Boese, along with her co-director Derek Duin, spends the entirety of the year planning events for the camp, organizing fundraisers and setting up orientation meetings, including friends and family meetings where parents can see what’s in store, up until Camp Kesem kicks off each year during the first week of August. On top of a heavy workload, the duo, along with the rest of the staff, need to be sure they exit each semester with passing GPAs.
“Everything is student-run,” Duin said. “Our monthly meetings, bonding events, fundraisers, and down to our camp schedule. We even have our own budget, but big purchases have to be run through our bosses on the national body.”
While the counselors and main staff are all students, Camp Kesem also has volunteer medical staff on site to ensure the event’s safety.
Once camp officially starts, everyone spends the week participating in a slew of activities, including Boese’s favorite: a talent show which both campers and counselors can participate in. Duin, however is more partial to the empowerment ceremony because of how it solidifies the familial structure of Camp Kesem.
“All of our campers’ lives have been affected by having a parent with cancer,” Duin said. “That’s the time where they talk about that shared experience and it can be as deep or shallow as they like, but everyone, campers and staff, leaves it feeling empowered.”
North Carolina has three other chapters, found at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro. There’s no requirement for college students to have history with cancer to join the Kesem staff.
“The first time we ever did Camp I think we were all a bit nervous,” Boese said. “When we were waiting for kids to arrive because we’d never met them and didn’t know what it was like. As soon as we got to Camp, it wasn’t something we ever thought about again. Seeing those first interactions with the counselors welcoming them with open arms is always incredible.”
Despite the idea behind its conception, Camp Kesem doesn’t place how cancer affects its campers alone in its spotlight. More than anything, Camp Kesem wants to teach its campers and staff how to have fun without worrying about what life throws at them. It wants to remind everyone what it’s like to be a kid again.
“We’re a camp for kids whose parents have been affected by cancer, but our camp is not about cancer,” Boese said. “Our camp is about making kids feel like they are supported, safe and have a fun outlet to be a kid again. Cancer is the thing that binds us, but we want everyone to know that the family we create is stronger than any burden cancer could ever have.”
Camper registration is free and begins in January 2019. Children must be between 6 and 18 years old and have a parent or guardian afflicted with cancer to be registered. More information on the group can be found on their website.
