Lucy Builds Resilience and Community at Brainy Camps
Lucy has big dreams for her future. She wants to be an aeronautical engineer and the first person with cerebral palsy (CP) and Type 1 diabetes to go to space. But first, the 13-year-old aspires to be a counselor-in-training at Brainy Camps of Children’s National, where she has gone every summer since she was 7.
“It was at Camp Take Hold where I first met other kids with CP who experienced similar things and it made me feel less alone,” says Lucy. “It was also nice not to get questions about my leg brace.”
Lucy has had CP since she was a baby. It primarily affects her right hand and foot. It’s often painful for her to walk up hills and she has difficulty grasping and holding onto things. She has had years of physical and occupational therapy, surgeries and other treatments to manage it. At camp, she loves participating in rock climbing, archery and other activities that the staff adapt for her.
After a decade of coping with her chronic condition, Lucy went to our emergency room feeling very sick the day after her 11th birthday. Doctors confirmed she had Type 1 diabetes. Later, she learned she also had celiac disease.
“Lucy has been through so much – especially now with the diabetes, which requires daily management,” says her mom, Laura. “Brainy Camps has always been her happy place. It’s where she can just be herself.” In addition to returning to Camp Take Hold next year, Lucy also hopes to attend the camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes.
“From the first year she went to camp, she came back more confident and resilient,” says her dad, Drew. “Thanks to her experiences there and the skills she has gained, Lucy will be able to accomplish anything she puts her mind to.”
“It was at Camp Take Hold where I first met other kids with CP who experienced similar things and it made me feel less alone,” says Lucy. “It was also nice not to get questions about my leg brace.”
Lucy has had CP since she was a baby. It primarily affects her right hand and foot. It’s often painful for her to walk up hills and she has difficulty grasping and holding onto things. She has had years of physical and occupational therapy, surgeries and other treatments to manage it. At camp, she loves participating in rock climbing, archery and other activities that the staff adapt for her.
After a decade of coping with her chronic condition, Lucy went to our emergency room feeling very sick the day after her 11th birthday. Doctors confirmed she had Type 1 diabetes. Later, she learned she also had celiac disease.
“Lucy has been through so much – especially now with the diabetes, which requires daily management,” says her mom, Laura. “Brainy Camps has always been her happy place. It’s where she can just be herself.” In addition to returning to Camp Take Hold next year, Lucy also hopes to attend the camp for kids with Type 1 diabetes.
“From the first year she went to camp, she came back more confident and resilient,” says her dad, Drew. “Thanks to her experiences there and the skills she has gained, Lucy will be able to accomplish anything she puts her mind to.”
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