Camp Oasis Love Story

The first year I volunteered at camp, Greg caught my eye as being a handsome, fun counselor on carnival night. I thought, he must be a great guy because he chose his only vacation time to hang with kids! My favorite memory was our last night watching the camp video and slideshow highlighting another great year, the friendships that had formed so quickly and the feeling of family and love that campers and counselors take with them until the next year. There are truly no words to express that emotional night! After Camp, despite the distance between colleges, we made time for each other and our relationship continued to grow.  

IBD by its nature is an embarrassing, intimate everyday challenge, especially for kids. Like everyone else at camp, Greg struggled with this. Coming to camp year 1 was completely out of my comfort zone but is the best choice I ever made for myself. The unspoken language between campers and staff allow a sense of family to form in less than 7 days.   

I missed out on a lot of school and family events growing up because of the fear of not feeling well. Peers at school knew I was out a lot of days but didn’t know why. Greg too was coming out of the hospital, too weak to play basketball and football after being diagnosed at 13 with UC. It wasn’t until his mom pushed him to go and meet friends at camp that he was able to accept this disease and make lifelong friends. 

This has been a fun walk down memory lane.