MDA Summer Camp is often described as the “best week of the year” for campers. But those are just words — to truly appreciate the magic, the community, the joy of MDA Summer Camp, you have to go there in person. That’s why we partnered this summer with Women Online to invite 10 incredible mommy bloggers to see MDA Summer Camp for themselves.
For some of these moms, it was a chance to go to camp for the first time; for others, it awoke long-dormant memories of their own experiences as kids spending a week away from home. For everyone, it was a joyous day that illustrated, in 3D, all that it means to #LiveUnlimited.
Check out some of the great recaps and photos from the bloggers below.
“One of the girls [I met] let me know that she starts to get excited in January about camp! This was her 8th year coming! You could see the passion and excitement in her eyes as she told me. This is what she waits for each year, this awesome and fun week with her friends.”–Audrey McClelland, MomGenerations.com
“MDA Summer Camp changed me. It restored my faith in humanity. Here’s why: It reminded me of how universal childhood joys are.”–Christine Koh, BostonMamas.com
“Where I was prepared for sadness, there was only light and laughter and children living out loud, without limits. There were wheelchairs, yes, and some kids who were unable to move on their own, too, and still others who got tired easily and needed help walking and some who had to wear leg braces. But the barriers—they were gone. Gone. Instead, there was pure joy.”–Deneen Miller, MyBrownBaby.com
“As the day went on, though, I was continuously reminded what I’ve learned from raising [my son with cerebral palsy] Max: Kids live and love the life they’ve got. They don’t know any differently. It’s our jobs as parents, family, loved ones and Adults Who Care to help them achieve the most boundless existence possible.”–Ellen Seidman, LoveThatMax.com
“I know camps like MDA Summer Camp create a special bond between the kids who attend. The kids know they aren’t alone. There’s a confidence that stays with them through the year. That confidence stays with them as they grow up.”–Jen Reeves, BornJustRight.com
“I send my son to my old camp so he can create his own new memories and have a week to find his way to his best self. And I understand why the parents of kids with muscular dystrophy are willing to set aside routines and control of care and any worries to let their kids feel this free for a week every summer. What a gift to the whole family.”–Jessica Ashley, SingleMomNation.com
“This is the part of the story where I admit to you that I straight-up started tearing up not once, but five different times while standing by a swimming pool blasting Cake by the Ocean. And this is not because there was anything sad going on. It’s because I found (first hand, in real time, right in front of my face) the humanity that I’d been missing for months, and the energy I’d been needing from humans. These 8-year-olds are not here for your nonsense. Or your limits. They are here to live unlimited. Watch them.”–Laura Mayes, TheQueso.com
“What I already know about people with muscular dystrophy is that they are more than their disease, and my day at camp was a beautiful, living example of that.”–Jill Krause, BabyRabies.com
“In the end, I realized that it all came down to the people at the camp. They are the ones that made the experience. Whether it was the people attending, the camp counselors or the dozens of other staff just waiting to participate and make someone’s day, it truly was a wonderful day spent outdoors at the MDA Summer Camp.”–Very Sweeney, LadyAndTheBlog.com
“It can sometimes feel like there aren’t enough people doing good things in the world. But when you’re lucky enough to meet those who are, it’s a privilege to share their story.”–Wendi Aarons, AlphaMom.com
