Camp helps youth cope with parents' cancer

More than 500,000 Americans died of cancer in 2001, according to the American Cancer Society. The diagnosis of cancer can be very damaging for a family, especially for the young children of cancer victims.\nA group of IU students, with the support of Circle K at IU, has organized a summer camp to help these children. Camp Kesem is a student-run camp for children who have or have had a parent with cancer. Camp Kesem gives these children an opportunity to build self-esteem and gain support from counselors and peers facing the same challenge.\n"There are many summer camps for children with cancer," said junior Samantha Leapman, Camp Kesem camper care co-chairwoman. "We wanted to help children who are dealing with parents with cancer. These kids' needs are often underserved."\nCamp Kesem will serve children between the ages of 6-13 from the Indianapolis and Bloomington areas. The camp will take place Aug. 7-12 at Bradford Woods in Martinsville. The campers will participate in normal summer camp activities such as swimming, hiking and other organized events. They also will participate in "cabin chats," which will give the children an opportunity to share their feelings about having parents who have been diagnosed with cancer. Providing support during these chats and throughout the entire camp is one of the main goals for Camp Kesem.\n"As counselors, we are just there for support," said counselor and sophomore Abby Taylor. "The fact that the kids are with peers going through a similar situation is therapy enough."\nCamp Kesem is a secular camp that is free of charge to every camper because of the high costs families face when battling cancer. Camp Kesem will cost about $21,000 to operate for the five-day program. The students running the camp have raised more than $20,000 thus far. One of the fund-raising methods has been a letter writing-campaign asking friends, families and businesses for donations.\n"We have done a good job so far raising money," Leapman said. "We would appreciate any donation people would be willing to give."\nThis summer will be the first summer IU students will run Camp Kesem. The IU camp is one of only eight Camp Kesems offered in the country. Camp Kesem National's mission statement says it "provides college students across the nation with the tools and support necessary to create self-sustaining summer camp programs for children who have or had a parent with cancer." \nThe first Camp Kesem was held at Stanford University in 2000 with the help of the students from the Hillel Center. The Stanford camp still serves as the model for Camp Kesem outlets across the nation.\nCamp Kesem is searching for more campers to fill the 40-camper limit for this summer, as well as for more donations to support the camp. To donate to the camp or to request an application form, contact Leapman at sleapman@indiana.edu or visit IU Camp Kesem's Web site, www.campkesemnational.org/indiana.html. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Chris Engel at ccengel@indiana.edu.