Sunrise Day Camp of Greater Philadelphia gives children a break from medical ordeals
By Stephanie Stahl
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VORHEES, New Jersey (KYW) — A special treat for local children battling cancer was held at a summer camp, filled with fun, just for them.
All kinds of summer fun in Voorhees for children with cancer between the ages of 3 to 16. It’s medically supervised and a welcome break from their medical ordeals.
It’s a bus ride to paradise to a place named after the sunrise — welcome to Sunrise Day Camp of Greater Philadelphia.
It’s a special gang all right. The kids have confronted a scary thing called cancer.
“I love playing the camp song,” 7-year-old Kyla Austin said.
Austin is a master of the bongo drum.
The young cancer patients are recommended by area hospitals and are medically cleared to be at the camp.
“These are kids that oftentimes spend weeks at a time in the hospital,” Jennifer Rebetti, the director of operations and programs of at Sunrise Day Camp, said. “They come here and they can just be kids.”
The seven-week camp in Voorhees is free, Rebetti said.
“It’s life-altering both for the child and for the family,” Rebetti said.
Cancer is often a family affair, so this camp invites young patients and their siblings.
“He acts like he’s the mayor of this place,” Michael Wright, a cancer patient, said.
Kicking a soccer ball with his little brother and sister is a nice distraction for Wright, a 10-year-old who has a rare soft tissue cancer.
“The camp is awesome. it does plan fun stuff,” Wright said.
“It’s really exciting the first day I was nervous but now I have a lot of new friends so it’s really fun here,” Brielle Wright, Michael’s sister, said.
Summer fun and a welcome break from medical hardships for the whole family.
“Everything is taken care of, those parents don’t have to worry, if a feeding tube falls out – our full-time nurse fixes it,” Rebetti said. “Our kids come here and they meet other kids that are just like them.”
Learning an important lesson — that even with cancer — there can be happy days.
There are 12 Sunrise Camps around the country that offer year-round virtual activities for more than 30,000 children.
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