Camp “Ray of Hope” 2007

S.T.A.R. Children Relief’s annual camp for children with hemophilia took place in a small village in Transylvania.

Our camp included some twenty activities: arts and crafts, karate, volleyball, field tennis, soccer, swimming, hiking, visiting a bird sanctuary, a birthday party, weird dress up day, physiotherapy, self infusion instructions, team building games, talent show, scavenger hunt, tie dye, a visiting band concert, a police demonstration, a day at Outward Bound Romania, and a visit to the beautiful medieval Citadel of Sighisoara, the only inhabited citadel in Europe.

The memories are many, but there are some that are more memorable than others. For sure the visit to Sighisoara was one of the highlights of the camp.

History tells us that Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, a ruthless ruler who kept the invading Turks from occupying the region by catching them in mountain passes, impaling them, and then placing them in public places for all the other Turks to view.
Folklore tells us that the famous Vlad is known also as the infamous Dracula.

Regardless of fact or fiction, Camp “Ray of Hope” participants, some forty children and twenty adults, all dressed in black capes and featuring white fangs, ascended one sunny day atop the citadel.  They came right in time for the town crier, clad in medieval attire, to welcome tourists in what sounded like forty languages, some we never heard of. When the tourists started to disperse and caught a glimpse of us, how can they miss us, they thought we were part of the act.  They borrowed our capes as well as some of our extra fangs so they could have their picture taken. It was a memorable sight and for some, one of the highlights of the camp.

Another major highlight of the camp was the trip to Outward Bound. It was hard to describe to the parents, children and the Romanian staff what Outward Bound is. How can one understand something they had never seen or heard of before? In fact, I was even surprised to know that it even existed in Romania. How lucky we were that the only such outfit in the country would be just an hour away from the camp and how lucky that they offered to allow our kids to experience the thrills of their activities free of charge.

We took advantage of this opportunity and spent a day at their facilities. It was not an ordinary day. It was extremely cold, windy and the rain was coming down in sheets. The medical personnel advised a quick return to camp. The children were cold and wet. The hot tea provided by the staff at Outward Bound was not enough to keep us comfortable.

Something did change though. One boy, harnessed and tied to ropes, tried to scale the rock climbing wall. Everyone who noticed this was now up for a challenge. In fact, some kids did not reach the top the first time.  Did this discourage them? Absolutely not!
They went for a second try.  Their goal was to reach the top and ring a bell that was there signaling a job well done. We saw the children climb that wall to reach the bell with confidence and pride.

The high ropes were even more challenging. A pair of boys had to hold on to each other’s shoulders and walk across two parallel logs at an altitude of 30 feet. They were visibly afraid, their legs shaking, but everyone went outside their comfort zone and finished the challenge under the loud cheering of the other campers. Jumping off the beams and being lowered to the ground always produced the biggest smiles. Signs of high five, right on, and peace were shared by the whole group.

The memorable moments were many, but there is one that will remain unforgettable. The pool is a favorite with the boys who were always quick to get in and always slow to get out; all, but one. Edi is seventeen and had never been in the water before. He was sitting by himself looking as the others were having fun.

We decided that it was time for him to get wet. With the help of five volunteer counselors Edi was slowly submerged in the pool. Once in, he held on to his helpers for dear life. It took a while for Edi to get used to the water, confident that with five people around him he could not drown. He realized that if he turned on his back he would be buoyant. When he decided that he was ready to float on his own.  One by one the hands let go of him. Finally, left alone, the feeling of weightlessness so great, he closed his eyes and whispered, “This is heaven.”

He spent the rest of the day floating, but his true challenge was not over. Edi decided he wanted to swim. The next day he was lowered in the pool again. Everyone was watching, the silence of sixty adults and children. It was so eerie. Then, one by one the helpers let go and Edi started to backstroke, franticly, with all his might. The silence was suddenly broken by a loud roar.

I quickly glanced at his mother who had been wringing her hands the whole time. I saw her arms raised, her eyes looking at the sky in a spiritual gesture of thanks and grace. Then she looked down at Edi with the proud look of a mother: her son had just learned how to swim! Her son is not an ordinary son. Edi does not just have hemophilia. Edi is a double amputee!!

Having witnessed this event is more than memorable, this is unforgettable.

Camp “Ray of Hope” 2007 was made possible in large part by a $5,000 donation from LA Kelley Communications, Inc. www.kelleycom.com

It was beautiful. I could have stayed
a month and a half.

Vladut

It was great,
but the greatest thing was when
I finally learned how to swim.
It felt like heaven.

Edi

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