Dear Friends, Family, & Supporters,
We come to you today to humbly ask for help to make it
possible to get the kids to Camp Korey again this year.
Donations can be made at www.youcaring.com/mccampfund or by clicking on the link on the top right of this page.
Donations can be made at www.youcaring.com/mccampfund or by clicking on the link on the top right of this page.
There are moments in time, and acts of kindness, that touch
you at the depths of your soul. They happen rarely, and when they do, they move
you, and take your breath away. Thanks to all of you, our family has
experienced moments like this several times over, on a grander scale than we
could have imagined.
“I’ve seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary
people living ordinary lives.”
Tracy Chapman
These moment’s for us started with a plea for help to get
the kids to camp each summer; and it has been met with many angels. With each
act of kindness, our hearts swelled a little more, and we were (yet again)
blown away by the support—from the “village” we have been blessed with for our
family. I was again reminded how much one person can make a difference in
another person’s life and how a group of individuals can provide a family with
a life changing experience.
They may say Disney World is the “happiest place on Earth”,
but for one week in the summer, I have no doubt that Camp Korey really is. The
smiles on every child, counselor, nurse, and doctor tell me I am right. Each
year we wonder how we can possibly top the year before, and somehow it happens.
This place…Camp Korey…and the people there, change lives.
With your help, this year we return, perhaps more
triumphantly than ever before….This year we reach the goal we set last year to
be returning to this special place as a whole family, with Michael;
Chance, a year older and a year wiser, returns a seasoned counselor, with hopes
and goals for every one of “his kids”; Madison is returning, in the role of LIT
(Leadership In Training) for the first time!!; and Abigail will be savoring her
final year as a camper.
This year, while impossible to imagine it being possible, we
are even more grateful for this blessing in our lives.
Camp Korey’s mission is to “honor the courage, strength,
& determination of children and their families who battle life threatening
and serious illnesses; and to provide them with a safe, friendly, medically
sound environment in which to simply have fun and be kids.” Camp
Korey fulfills this mission in amazing ways!!
For those that may be new to our story, my name is Heather
and I have been married to my husband, Michael for almost 25 years (our
anniversary will happen while we are in Seattle). We are the proud parents to
three amazing young people….Chance (19), Madison (16) & Abigail(15). I write to you today to share our story
and to ask for your help to make summer camp possible for our children again
this year.
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| Camp Korey 2009 |
Chance, Madison and Abigail have endured a great many
challenges since they were very young, due to an inherited metabolic disease
called Mitochondrial Disease.
Mitochondria are present in every cell in the body except for red blood
cells, and are responsible for the production of energy for the cells to use to
function. When a Mitochondrial
Disease is present, not enough energy can be produced and many body systems are
affected and progressively fail to provide their function within the body. Any stress on the body, even something
as simple as a cold, can cause devastating affects. It is a life threatening
disease with no cure, and minimal treatment options.
 |
| Camp Korey 2010 |
Camp was initially important to make happen because it was a
“typical” right of passage for childhood, and one we thought would never be possible for the kids.
Due to all three being unable to control their body temperature correctly, most
summer camp locations are too hot for them to be able to participate, and their
medical needs make most camps, even those for medical reasons, unable to handle
their complex needs.
Thankfully Camp Korey, just outside of Seattle, Washington,
exists and they are the first & only camp in the country to have dedicated
a week to Mitochondrial Disease kids!! Camp
Korey is a medically supervised camp staffed with physicians and nurses,
and trained camp counselors for children suffering from serious and life
threatening illnesses. The camp provides a week-long experience of camp
programs and activities for children ages 7-15 at no cost to them.
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| Camp Korey 2011 |
What camp has become for the kids is so much more than
giving them a “typical” experience.
It has changed their lives!!
They come away from camp more confident & independent, but more
importantly, they come away in better shape physically, mentally &
emotionally, with a renewed spirit of hope and optimism. It is truly incredible to see them
shine, literally, after a week at Camp Korey.
 |
| Camp Korey 2012 |
To quote Camp Korey’s
website: “For a few days or more at Camp Korey, children enjoy the novel
experience of being defined not by their medical diagnosis, but by their
spirit, their creativity, and their own potential.” Thank’s to Camp Korey, our
children have the chance to be defined by such wonderful things. Thanks to our supporters, like you,
they have this chance to be so defined!! Its because of you and ALL that you
do, that these kids can flourish and be amazing, at Camp Korey, and in their
world in general.
While the camp is free to attend, we do have to get
ourselves there, cover expenses getting the kids ready to go, and expenses
while we are there, and this is where you all come in.
We need your help to make it happen!!
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration
of our cause.
Michael & Heather McNair
Proud Parents to Chance, Madison & Abigail
Previous posts about Camp:
McNair Kids Camp Fund 2011
Incredibly Blessed
Happiness is
Previous posts about Camp:
McNair Kids Camp Fund 2011
Incredibly Blessed
Happiness is
Camp Korey creates some awesome videos to share their
mission. The following three tell a little more about the Camp, and include the
kids and I talking about what Camp Korey means to us.
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