Tracy Cummins admits to having reservations the first time her son, Tobin, went to Summerfest in 2011. After all, he was only eight years old, had never been away from home by himself and had never been to camp. Tracy had also always been the person who administered medicine for Tobin’s seizure disorder.

Tobin’s time at the camp went off without a hitch. In fact, the then-eight-year-old returned home with more self-confidence than he had ever had and was showing increasing independence, Tracy says, adding her son has looked forward to Summerfest ever since.

“(Summerfest) is exciting for him; Tobin is a really independent kid, so he just loves the idea of being parent-free and having a good time out in nature,” Tracy says.

Tobin’s interpersonal skills have also been enhanced by attending Summerfest, Tracy notes.
 
“He is more self-confident and he’s very comfortable in different groups of kids; he doesn’t need to be around kids that he’s familiar with to be able to have a good time, and I think a lot of that comes from being a camp kid,” she says.

In fact, Tobin chooses the weeks he wants to attend Summerfest, picking different time slots each year so he can meet new campers, Tracy points out.

Aside from the personal development Tobin has experienced from attending Summerfest, Tracy says she has also benefite

d from her son attending the camp.

“I don’t worry about him (now) when he’s on his own because he really has his head on his shoulders,” she says.

Tobin will be attending Summerfest for two weeks starting Aug. 11. As a testament to how much Tobin enjoys the camp, Tracy says it takes him a long time to complete his application form — there are just too many activities offered that interest him.

“He’s just so excited about it,” she says.

Summerfest was founded in 1994 by Anita Allen, a neurology clinic nurse at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). The program, which is held at Camp Couchiching, near Orillia, enables children aged six to 15, who are living with seizure disorders, to attend camp with other children.

Summerfest also provides respite to parents and gives them a chance to spend time with each other or with their other children. Since the camp has experienced counsellors and offers on-site nursing professionals who are well-versed in working with people who have seizure disorders, parents enjoy peace of mind knowing their children are safe and in good hands.

If you would like to donate to the Summerfest camp program, please click here.

Writer: Deron Hamel

If you have feedback on this story, or have a story of your own that you would like to share, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca. You can also leave a comment below.

* If you wish to reprint this story, please include following notice: “This story originally appeared on the Epilepsy Ontario website.”