The joy of forgetting challenges
Brigadoon Village provides fun summer for children with illnesses
“Parents can leave their kids with us ... while the kids can completely forget their diagnoses and just be kids and have fun.”
Callie Gallant Director of marketing, Brigadoon Village
Dave McKeage was just 11 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. After enduring a series of operations and chemotherapy, he went on to work as a summer director at the Canadian Cancer Society’s Camp Goodtime.
It was there McKeage had an epiphany: a camp was needed for children living with chronic illness. He went to work to make that dream a reality. The task was daunting, requiring extensive research, a feasibility and business plan, the recruiting of a board of directors and fundraising.
In 2011, Brigadoon Village opened its doors in Aylesford to its first summer camp – Camp Guts & Glory hosted 38 young campers living with Crohn’s and colitis.
Today, Brigadoon Village is Canada’s largest pediatric medical camping facility.
“Kids who would typically not be able to go to a regular summer camp because of a health challenge or chronic illness can come here,” explains Callie Gallant, director of marketing and communications with Brigadoon Village. “We have more than 30 condition-specific camps each year.”
Each camp is designed so children facing the same illness or life challenge attend a camp specifically tailored to those living with their needs.
There are camps designed for kids dealing with juvenile arthritis, bleeding disorders, asthma and respiratory conditions, brain tumours and heart conditions.
“At each camp there is a specialized team of nurses and/or doctors and therapists who come here to assist us with the specific needs of that camp,” Gallant points out.
At the bereavement camp, for example, for kids who have recently lost a family member, grief counsellors are available to support the discussions that take place at the campfire circle.
Campers share experiences and create special friendships with other children facing the same challenges.
“It might be the first time in their lives that they are interacting with hundreds of other kids who have the exact same condition that they do,” Gallant points out.
With camping activities curtailed during the past two years due to the pandemic, Brigadoon Village was able to complete a $12.5-million expansion with the help of community donations and government support.
“We have room for a lot more kids and many more awesome things for them to do,” Gallant says. “We have a rock wall, a new area for archery and a rope challenge course that is wheelchair accessible, so kids with mobility issues can make it all the way to the top.”
McKeage passed away in 2018, but his dream will live on, giving thousands of children the summer camp experience of a lifetime. The expanded camp can now accommodate some 3,500 campers each year. While most come from Atlantic Canada, children come from across the country. Financial assistance is available for all families, regardless of resources.
“Parents can leave their kids with us and know that they are safe and that all of their medical conditions will be taken care of,” Gallant says. “While the kids can completely forget their diagnoses and just be kids and have fun.”