Camp New Hope 2009

We just got home from Camp New Hope in North Carolina. This is the camp started by two brothers for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Randy, the camp director, makes sure the families are fed and cared for and she keeps the place in great shape, which is no small task. The camp sits on 160 acres along the New River in West Jefferson, NC. It is beautiful!

Randy's grandson was there and he and Jacob played nonstop the entire time. They turned the volleyball court into a huge sandbox. They fished with me and swung on the rope swing. They tried to earn sugar cookie dough by catching fish or skipping rocks the most times. Jacob is worn out from all of the fun. We discovered some cows on the adjacent property and Jacob removed his shirt and pretended to be a bullfighter. Ole!

Macayla did well overall. She looked like she was going to have some bad seizures on Sunday, but the Versed seems to have nipped it in the bud. She loved being on the Bobcat mini-truck. Its diesel engine, vibrations and the bumps of the trails made her smile. When we took her up the mountain or for a ride at all, it put her to sleep.

Oh, and while everyone back home had sweltering temperatures, we had a nice breeze in the low eighties as a high. It was actually cool in the mornings. Macayla's nurse came along and that helped to free us up for Jacob or to just take a nap. Plus, he was really good about getting her out under the shade trees. He brought along some sawdust and mixed coins in with it so Jacob could search for the money. Jacob got into that! We put Macayla in the river and she liked the sound but it was too cold for her. She preferred sunbathing on the shore with mom. We all ate too much and relaxed a lot. It's one of those places you don't want to leave once you get there.

Camp New Hope has been hit with the economic recession as well. The brothers who started it have worked hard to keep it going in spite of the financial struggles. They could use our help. The camp is a charity and all donations are tax deductible. They have a volunteer staff right now that keeps up the mowing and maintenance which is amazing considering the acres upon acres that have to be mowed each week. Some local churches and individuals have helped raise some money and have donated items the camp needs. But more help is needed.