My name is PJ, I am a cancer survivor of 12 years, and I have been involved with Camp ever since my diagnosis. This organization has given me so much, and now it's my turn to give back.
Early one Saturday morning when I was 11 years old, my parents found me writhing on the floor in pain. They rushed me to the ER, and a cat scan revealed that I had an "intussusception." This happens when your small intestine telescopes inside of your large intestine, and mine were blocked by a cancerous tumor. After a brief surgery, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of B-Cell Lymphona that doubles in size every 24 hours. I was lucky, however, because we caught mine in stage 2. If it had been any later I might not be here today, so I owe my life to that intussusception.
My treatment was 9 weeks of regular, intense chemotherapy. I was miserable. It felt like as soon as I began to feel better, it was time for another dose to knock me down again. Those days were some of the worst weeks of my life, and I felt like my youth had been stripped away from me.
One day, my nurse at the hospital told me about a summer camp for kids like me. At first, I was skeptical -- why would I want to hang out with a bunch of miserable zombies like myself?
Eventually, I decided to go, and immediately, I was welcomed with open arms. When I wanted to sit out from games and wallow, the kids and counselors picked me up and made me feel included, They didn't take no for an answer (in a good way). I made some of my best friends in a matter of hours -- people who deeply understood me and made me feel like I belonged.
I had NEVER recovered from chemo that quickly before. At home, it would take me days to even get out of bed. At camp, I literally was running around like a normal kid again in less than 2 days. It was a miracle and I felt like I got my childhood back. I EVEN PASSED THE SWIM TEST!
Camp gave me a support network of meaningful connections with people who made me feel like myself. These are dear friends of mine, and several people I still see to this day (12 years later).
Camp taught me about self-acceptance and accepting others. As I grew up attending their programs, I feel like it made me a more mature and empathetic person.
Most importantly, Camp completely changed my perspective about my condition. Cancer was never something to be ashamed of or a cause for self-pity. I learned to completely own it as a part of myself.
Now I see cancer as both one of the worst - and best - things to ever happen to me.
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Team One Step supports Camp One Step by Children's Oncology Services, an organization that operates camps and other recreational and educational experiences for children who have been diagnosed with cancer. One Step Programs aim to cure the spirit by providing an environment of hope, strength, and empowerment. During the pandemic, Camp One Step pivoted to offer virtual camps so now they can serve more children than ever before- even in their hospital beds.
I hope you will consider supporting my journey as I raise funds to support children diagnosed with cancer. Thank you for your time!