School’s out for the summer and many kids are heading to summer camp, but it’s an extra special day for one group in particular.
Dozens of kids, recovering from burn injuries, packed up and hit the road to spend a week at the Arizona Burn Foundation’s Camp Courage in Prescott. It’s a place specially tailored to their needs. It's a way for the kids to have some summer fun and realize they're not alone.
They’re headed to camp to connect and share their stories, but most of all to have some fun.
“There’s swimming, horseback riding,” said 9-year-old burn survivor Isabella McCune. “I feel encouraged.”
After months in the hospital, she has come a long way and she’s excited about the Camp Courage experience.
“It makes me feel happy because I know that people can relate to what happened to me,” said McCune.
Isabella suffered third-degree burns on 65% of her body after a fire pit explosion more than a year ago now.
“This is going to be a good bonding experience for them,” said Lilly McCune, Isabella’s mom, who is thankful she’s doing so much better.
“I’m matching with my dad he’s wearing Mickey,” Isabella said.
7-year old Lawson Majors has a different story.
“I was working on a pickup truck and the gas caught on fire and as I threw it, he rode by on his bike and it was a simultaneous deal,” said Jim Majors, Lawson’s dad. “It was a freak accident.”
Lawson’s mom says he’s had three surgeries and he may have to have more, but he’s showing a lot of improvement.
“He’s back to riding motorcycles, bicycles, playing,” his dad said.
While the recovery process for a severe burn injury is painful.
“It’s the biggest traumatic thing I think you’ll ever go through,” he said.
Camps like this one symbolize so much, love, support and healing.
“They’ve encouraged us and given us hope,” Lawson’s mom Sheryl said. “They’re just so good with him and they’re, they make him feel so loved.”
“I think the learning experience will be adaptation,” his dad added.
“The new, amazing experiences are happening,” Isabella’s mom Lilly said as she kissed her goodbye.
Now in its 29th year, Camp Courage, is offered annually to child burn survivors through the Arizona Burn Foundation. This year, a new free Anti-Bullying Program will be introduced to the campers.