Why Sibling Camps

As the brother or sister of a child with cancer, a child might sometimes feel left out of things. It is for this reason that there are special summer camps just for siblings of children with cancer. Being surrounded by people who understand what "what it is like" can take place at one of the many summer camps for siblings!

After camp, children feel much less alone and much less "different" from their friends back home.

Here's what SuperSibs! have told us about their camping experiences:

"I found a lot of wonderful friends at Camp UKANDU, a local camp for children with cancer and their siblings. The weeks I spent at camp were some of the best in my life. I met inspiring people who were all experiencing similar situations. I would encourage anyone with a similar situation to find a camp like Camp UKANDU to help him or her."
-Evelyn H.

"I was a junior counselor at Camp Okizu for the siblings of cancer kids. It was a great experience for me and I was able to be a role model to four great little girls who were going through the same things that I did. I hope to return there for many summers to come."
-Bethany O.

"I have participated in a camp called Camp Reach for the Sky: SIBS Camp, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, since the first year my sister was diagnosed. SIBS Camp is made specifically for siblings of children with cancer. My first year in attendance was an escape from the pain and stress of my life. At camp I could absorb advice from the people around me who had been through what I was dealing with. However, as I return to camp each year, my role has changed. No longer am I there to be comforted and assisted, I am now the shoulder to cry on, the person who gives advice and reassurance. Going to camp each summer brings me back to the part pf my life that has impacted me so much, and it provides me with the opportunity to give to those in the situation I was in not long ago."
-Colleen P.

"Sky High Hope Camp is a weeklong summer camp, held annually, for children with cancer and their siblings. It was at this camp that I met other children, like my brother, who had lost their hair to chemotherapy. There are also children who had just lost limbs or had brain damage and children whose sibling did not survive cancer. Regardless, the greatest thing about camp was the feeling of belonging that each camper felt the minute they arrived. It was a feeling that cannot be described with words, other than to say that there was never any fear of being judged or mocked for the physical effects of your illness."
-Shane M.

"I have been involved with a program called Camp Happy Days and Special Times. It is a one week camp for children with cancer and their siblings, providing a utopia for all kids. In past years I have been a camper, but this year I am now old enough to be a counselor."
-Lauren K.

"I was able to attend Camp CoCo Cancer Camp with my sister one summer, and it was one of the most positive experiences of my life. I was able to connect with other siblings and share experiences and feelings with others who truly understood what I was going through."
-Sarah H.