The fifth-annual Pediatric Pain Warrior Family Summer Camp brought together a record number of families for a life-changing week.
Held in late June at Morgan’s Camp, an Ultra-Accessible™ camp in San Antonio, Texas, the five-day experience has become one of the signature offerings of U.S. Pain Foundation’s Pediatric Pain Warrior Program.
This year, the camp welcomed 61 families—more than 250 children and teens living with pain, along with their siblings and parents, grandparents, or guardians—for an immersive gathering that, above all, reiterated to each person that they are not alone in their experience with pediatric chronic pain.
With every aspect of the camp focused on empowering children and teens living with pain and their families, the targeted accessibility of the camp facility itself and the variety of events made it possible for many children to try activities they’ve never been able to do before.
Campers traversed a challenging ropes course. They climbed a rock wall. They went flying on a giant swing. They shot bows and arrows. They soared on a zip line. They went swimming and greeted the day with water aerobics. They navigated an obstacle course. They raced miniature cars. They rode horses. They created art. They interacted with new and interesting animals. They went head-to-head during a Family Game Night. They closed out the week with a Color Wars activity, slinging water and washable paint.
And they did it all with wheelchairs, mobility devices, medical equipment, and all the breaks they needed to take—no explanations needed, no questioning looks, and no judgment.
“What makes this camp so unique, and so life-changing, is that you don’t have to explain or apologize for your pain,” said Casey Cashman, director of the Pediatric Pain Warrior Program at U.S. Pain Foundation. “No one looks at you funny when you need to use your wheelchair or sit out for a bit. Everyone is in the same boat—and that gives these families what is often their first opportunity to take a breath and know that they are truly understood and accepted.”
Extending Education and Support
An integral aspect of the family summer camp is its inclusion of peer support groups and educational sessions for both kids and parents.
Pediatric pain warriors shared experiences and found understanding among others their age in several pediatric pain support groups, while other groups geared toward their siblings and parents or guardians allowed those family members to connect with others who are traveling similar paths. With their emphasis on peer-led support, these groups allowed campers to become vulnerable about their struggles and their needs in a judgment-free space, surrounded by others in the same boat.
During one of the parent groups, attendees received valuable guidance from Windy Rodriguez, a parent attending camp and a patient services specialist, about navigating insurance denials.
Evening educational sessions for the kids and teens attending camp often incorporate a hands-on activity. This year, campers heard from artist and camp parent Derek McCarty about the therapeutic impacts of art, and worked on completing their own art projects. On another evening, they worked with U.S. Pain Foundation staff and volunteers to create and personalize their own stuffed Pediatric Pete penguins, complete with laminated adoption cards, to take with them on their future adventures.
Meanwhile, parents learned from Asha Patel Shah, MD, MBA, FAAD, head of Medical Affairs NA, Skin Health & Baby at Kenvue, in a presentation focusing on skin health and how it ties to pediatric pain. A second parent educational session was run by Meredith de Saint-Albin, LCSW, a social worker and therapist as well as a camp parent, who discussed the mental health impacts of parenting children living with pain.
A Moving Depiction of the Impact of Headache Diseases
To commemorate Headache Awareness Month—a particularly meaningful time, as a majority of campers live with migraine or headache disease—the families, volunteers, and staff attending camp engaged in their own camp version of the Flags for Headache installation, an initiative of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and The Headache Alliance.
Hundreds of people, all decked out in purple, planted their own small flag into the ground to help create a powerful display, which was made possible thanks to Lundbeck, the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, The Headache Alliance, the Danielle Byron Henry Migraine Foundation, and Nerivio.
Spread across a camp field and waving in the wind, the flags served as a poignant reminder of the daily and lifelong impact of migraine and headache diseases on millions of U.S. kids and adults.
Amplifying Impact
For five years, the Pediatric Pain Warrior Family Summer Camp has continued to grow, evolve, and reach more families and more children living with pain. Made possible each year with the support of generous sponsors, donors, and volunteers, this one-of-a-kind event serves a vital purpose.
Families who arrive feeling isolated, misunderstood, or alone leave five days later knowing that they’re part of a dynamic, growing, nationwide family—made up of others who profoundly understand their journeys.
“I truly believe this camp has saved lives,” Cashman said. “It has certainly changed hundreds of lives. We are grateful to the families who take a chance and step out of their comfort zones to join us each year. They are what make camp truly special and transformative.”
