Summer Camp!

[Guest guest]

http://www.firstgiving.com/camppromisewest

I don't know how many of you caught the uproar that took place last month when

MDA canceled their summer camps throughout the country for the rest of the

summer, due to swine flu. I can see where MDA's coming from, with liability

issues and everything. But I really felt bad for all the kids whose families

were still perfectly willing to send them to camp! We all know that EVERYthing

we do, when living with different forms of MD, is risky. And we all have our

individual feelings about what risks we're willing to take. If I were still a

kid/teen, I personally wouldn't feel much more risk from this spotlight-hungry

flu than any other common cold, and I'd still want to go to camp.

I was finally reading Harriet McBryde 's book, " Accidents of Nature, " a

couple weeks ago, which I HIGHLY recommend. It's fantastic. And it just brought

back SO many memories from my MDA Camp years. Camp was never what its promoters

claim that it is--my one week out of the whole year where I could be normal.

Whatever! I was never so hyper-aware of my disability as I was at Camp. But

besides being fun, and an opportunity to make lots of great friends, I really

feel like it helped me figure out my identity as a person with a disability.

That week often got me thinking, and sometimes talking, about issues that didn't

come up much in my " real life. " As many issues as I have with MDA, I've always

been glad I did the camp thing.

Anyway, so some of the people who've been involved for years with MDA Camp where

I grew up (western Washington) decided to try and run their own camp this summer

as a replacement for MDA. It's been a very last minute, grassroots effort on

their part. But I remember how much I looked forward to that week every year,

and imagine how disappointed I'd have been to have it canceled, and I really

want their efforts to succeed!! They're gathering campers, volunteers,

donations, funds, etc, and are trying to do it in a hurry.

(I have to admit, it makes me kind of happy to be able to donate to Camp,

without donating to the aspects of MDA I'm not so fond of.

Their link is here: http://www.firstgiving.com/camppromisewest

I just wanted to do my part to spread the word. Whether or not you can donate,

I'd appreciate you spreading the word as well!

Thanks, friends!

e

[Guest guest]

That's great, e! There's a Northern California group that's been running

it's own camp for years made up of folks from my generation of MDA campers. I'm

glad people are feeling empowered to do it.

Cheers!

Alana