Attending Summer Camp years after my diagnosis

A few years after my diagnosis and even as a child I was still able to do many things most children could do. That one thing was being able to attend summer camp. The name of the camp I attended was Circle Square ranch, a fun place for children to spend a week during the summer. Like most children I was excited about the opportunity to go to camp, but being a child with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy it did lead to some challenges.

The first day was exciting and I was amazed by the chuck wagon you see behind me, which housed I believe 12 bunks. Thankfully I was able to get a low bunk that way I didn't have to climb a ladder to my bed. It was all new to me so I was pretty excited. Each day they would have different things for us to do, none of us really paid attention but would follow our camp leader to whatever activity we were doing that day. At this camp Horseback riding was a big part of the camping experience and I seemed to do okay, though I did need to be helped up onto the horse. It definitely was a new experience.

They also had archery which was actually a lot of fun as well. Things were going pretty good that is until one day we ended up at a large cliff which we were told we'd be climbing. Now we would be wearing a harness and helmet to climb safely up the side as well as being connected to a safety wire. Right away even at my young age I knew it would be impossible for me to do, as I simply didn't have the upper body strength to pull myself up over anything. I knew this since I could never join my friends in climbing trees. Right away I mentioned this to the camp counselor who then sent me back to the main buildings to help with kitchen duties. When I arrived the kitchen staff had me scrape dirty pots which were better but still demanding on my little arms. After that they had me peeling potatoes like I was a prisoner in a movie. This really hurt my arms but I pushed through till it was over.

Thankfully this was the only issue I faced during my time at this children's camp and I know today things must be so much better. Especially for children with disabilities and what's even better is there are camps that cater to those with Muscular Dystrophy like the MDA summer camps. Maybe even a few of you or your children have attended these camps and know the joy they can bring. Even though I had some issues during this summer camp stay in the end I still had an amazing time. My only recommendation to kids with Muscular Dystrophy attending regular summer camps is to make sure the entire staff is aware of your limitations - so they don't make the mistake of pushing you too far. Lastly if you find yourself in a physically challenging situation it's always a great idea to speak up.