My name is Christy Pritchett Cox and my daughter Kaia attended her second summer at Experience Camps this year. Her bruncle (brother/uncle) Kelly passed away 2 year ago from complications of type 1 diabetes at the young age of 18. Kelly was also a camper and counselor at Experience Camps for several years. After losing his mom to cancer at age 5 and our dad at the age of 12 he came to live with us, he ended up being the older brother to my daughters and not just my baby brother anymore. Kelly was always the best bruncle to my girls, he was excited to play with them, make them laugh, teach them boy things and love them unconditionally.
After Kelly passed away, I had no idea how much love and support would pour in from the Experience Camps family. The stories they shared about Kelly warmed our hearts. The love and support they offered to us showed me a glimpse of what Kelly had experienced while at camp. It showed us that we had a village of support all over the country and when we needed someone that could understand what we were going through, they were there.
Kaia wasn’t sure about camp at first, but then she decided she would go because her bruncle Kelly went and loved camp. Kaia can be a shy kid and not always willing to try new things, but when I came to camp to pick her up, the first thing she wanted to do was introduce me to all the friends she made, I was without words. She ran me around to several campers to introduced me and then just ran off to spend those last few minutes with the campers she bonded with in just a few short days.
Kaia had been very worried, quiet, angry, and distant since Kelly passed away, but at camp she was this happy, outgoing, confident kid that I hadn’t seen in a while.
I can’t even put into words the appreciation I have for all the people involved with Experience Camps. This is a priceless experience for kids that have gone through something that they may not fully understand for a long time, if ever.
Our family tries to stay positive and remember all the great times we had with all of our loved ones that have passed. I know we have an army of angels watching over us all the time. We will never forget them, and we will miss them more than most can even imagine. We are grateful for the memories we have of each of them, and for Experience Camps coming into our lives and being part of this unplanned journey that none of us expected to take.
P.S. My youngest daughter Kynlee joined the Experience Camp family this past summer and she can’t wait to return in 2020!
Applications are open for summer 2020. Submit an application for a grieving child today.
