LJ Ruiz was in his element the second he arrived at camp in 2018 for his first summer. LJ is an active kid, loves sports, and enjoys constantly being in motion.
“Movement is the way LJ deals with his pain, and being able to do that alongside his buddies was so wonderful for him. Bonding, dancing, singing, and especially seeing other kids with similar stories. It really was a HUGE eye opener for him.”
Though it’s been 5 years since the death of his father, it can sometimes feel like it was yesterday. “Grief NEVER ends. Especially when it happens to a young boy such as LJ”, said Jennifer.
When LJ came home, his mom immediately noticed something was different. “He was changed. It was amazing. Seeing the other campers so openly share made LJ realize that he shouldn’t be ashamed. He doesn’t have that many friends that have lost a parent, so it’s not something that he was used to being around. Camp really opened his eyes to know that he wasn’t alone.”
LJ and his mom are both so grateful for camp.“I’ve seen an enormous change in his attitude and how he deals with his grief. I’m curious to see how the harder days go, but I know he’s armed with better coping tools because of Experience Camps.”
