(music)
We're going up to climb a mountain, it's like,
five o'clock in the morning. We're going on a sunrise hike.
I'm very tired.
(music)
We had a big propane heater in my house
that had a gas leak. And it exploded inside the house. And I
was eight years old. It's so pretty over there! All the
mountains are kind of waking up, I guess. That's really cool.
That was deep! That was really deep! (cheering) It's a magic
that just happens as soon as people come together for the
common cause of really greeting these kids where they are and
helping them in their life's journey.
(music)
(Willie) It happened in 2000. October 10th.
(girl) When I was three years old.
(girl) About two years ago.
We were in our van and my mom was gonna take us to the
grocery store.
(Kelsi) I was at a campfire with my grandpa and
then everybody in my family.
We had rented a house down at the beach.
(Khoua) I was burned five years ago, and it was a house fire.
(Willie) I was kind of looking around in our van and I found a lighter.
(Kelsi) My mom, she would not let me go outside without a life jacket,
so that saved most of me.
(Sarah) Series of unfortunate events led to a
plane crashing into that house and exploding.
(Khoua) I was burned about 25% of my body.
(Willie) I lit something on fire and then the
whole van kind of burst into flames.
(Kelsi) I kind of backed up and I just fell in and burned my hand and my arm and my legs.
(Willie) My brother was in a car seat, he was a year and a half. I was four and a half.
Hi, I'm Trudy and I am the executive director
of the Children's Hospital Burn Camp's program. The camp started
in 1983. The founder of the program was Marion Doctor and
she had a dream that children who suffered a burn injury were
not getting adequate care as they transitioned out into the
community. So she developed this as a very first residential burn
camp for children who've had a burn injury.
(singing)
In Colorado, Cheley Camp. A burn camp for burn survivors. It's
really peaceful. When you get on the bus and you get to Cheley,
everybody is lined up by the door of the bus yelling, "Oh
you're home!" And it's really a home away from home. It's just
great to meet a bunch of kids that have been through something
similar and kind of talk over that and we've had some laughs
with it and there's been some serious parts and it's really
nice to be able to go through that with people that have been
through something similar.
(music)
(Trudy) It started out as for 20 or so
kids. This year we have 84 kids from all over the United States,
and two exchange kids from England. Every year is the best
year. They just get better and better. I haven't gotten any
yet. Just been nibbles, but haven't gotten one. I like to
mountain bike. I love horseback riding. There's tons of horses
here. There's always one that you would totally love and fall
in love with. The horse's name is Max, and my name is Maxine,
but people call me Max. Some of them are really scared, some of
them, we're slowly working towards being comfortable on the
horses and understand they can trust something that big and the
animal will trust them back. It was a thrill because you think
that you're not gonna be able to make it, but you just keep on
going and you're able to make it to the top. I like that.
(Brooke) We're really about providing a challenging experience in a
nurturing environment. When a kid goes out to go rock
climbing, it's not necessarily about just getting to the top of
the rock. Once they get to the top of the rock, there's lots of
conversations that happen in regards to, what did that feel
like? And were you scared? And how did you get through your
fears? How can you use that when you're starting middle school?
(Tommy) What's been going on here the last 25 or so years is
an unbelievable program, and it's been modeled around the country
and world. There is a whole suite of programs that is there
for the kids from the time of their injury until they're
adults. (Trudy) It started out as just a summer camp program, and then we
realized our teenagers really needed a time just for them, and
we took a small group of teenagers skiing. And we
realized that there was groups of young adults that needed to
know how to write a resume and build their own mission
statement and create a career path. We have a family camp
where families who've all had a significant impact on their
family are able to stay together.
(singing)
(Bo) It's full-service. Emotionally the healing that takes place you
can't get anywhere else. And to have the physical therapists
there, to have doctors and nurses there--everybody ready to
help and support the kids do what they can. And we want to
push the kids, we want to push them safely, but we want them to
try as much as possible within their physical limits.
(Brian) Hearing their stories
and the amazing amount of stuff they have to go
through to get to this point to come to camp, to get through
their injury, the process of healing up from this is amazing.
(Trudy) We really encourage that whole continuum of--You are supported
and we support you, and how are you going to take your story and
help someone else? I think that's a gift that every child
deserves. And especially a child who's been through a critical
injury like a burn injury. It was one of the most lifting and
amazing experiences of my entire life. And you know, I get to
come back until I'm 18! And I'm only 13! I got a ways to go! I'm
hoping to come back here as a counselor even after I'm done.
I'll see what happens, but that would just be a dream come true
for me. (Trudy) I believe in these kids. It's not about their burn
injury. It's about who they are and where they want to go and
how can they get there. And certainly, you can't erase the
past and it makes us who we are. But for many of them, it makes
them stronger.
(singing)
It does transform lives. It's someplace you
just have to keep coming back to. Personally, I think it gives
them hope that there's just like a place out there where not
everybody is gonna be staring at you. I count myself very lucky.
If you come here, it will probably change your life. 00:07:07.761,00:00:00.000 (singing)