It’s day 8 of the 12 Days of Campmas! 12 days of celebrating our amazing Easter Seals campers – campers like Daniel.
Daniel might be better known as ‘Flapjack McGregor’ to counsellors and fellow campers. Daniel earned the nickname when he challenged himself to eat lots of pancakes, which was great fun, but he was so full he had to lay down for a few hours after.
Daniel has Down Syndrome and has been attending Easter Seals Camp since he was 11 years old. He’s now turning 23 this month. (Happy Birthday Daniel!) His mom Karen says camp has been a wonderfully fulfilling experience for the whole family.
“The Easter Seals overnight camps are magical experiences every time for Daniel and also for us. As parents, knowing the joy he experiences and the freedom he feels at camp enabling his independent spirit to flourish! We always feel completely reassured and confident in the care we know he receives whilst at camp, which puts our anxious minds at rest and enables us to spend our time away from Daniel in much needed down time for a few days, with only ourselves to cater to. There is nothing else out there which has enabled us to have some quality time together, without Daniel, on a yearly basis, and for that we thank you, probably more than you will ever know!” ~Karen, Daniel’s mom.
For Daniel a few camp memories stick out. “The camp ‘theme’ with the heroes and bad guys, not forgetting kangaroo court which is the absolute best part of camp! Closely followed by talking to the counselors and the talent show, of course! Oh, and any excuse for singing and dancing is a big plus, too! And let’s not forget smores around the camp fire, when there’s no fire ban in place!!”
Karen shares, “We would highly recommend the Easter Seals summer camps to anyone who is thinking about participating and experiencing the magic of camp, where inclusion is the name of the game, where new friends and camp memories are made!”
Daniel has been waiting out Covid to join us as a Leader in Training at Camp Squamish and we can’t wait to see him. Thank you Daniel and Karen for sharing your story of camp with us!
If you’d like to help campers and families like Daniel’s you can visit https://bit.ly/12days-of-campmas
