My Nonprofit Reviews

Our daughter was born with 3 heart defects; Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection, ASD, VSD. She also suffered from frequent respiratory issues and could not handle heat and humidity well. As she began to get older, she wanted to do things other kids did and she longed for a little bit of independence. We heard about a new camp for heart kids. Because there was a cardiologist present 24/7, and nurses, and air conditioning in the cabins, we decided to let her try going to camp. She was 9 years old and part of the very first group at Camp Odayin in 2002.
To say it was a wonderful experience for her is really quite inadequate. She made life-long friends at Odayin. She gained independence and confidence. She didn't feel like she was the only one with a scar who had to be careful about what she did. The highlight of EVERY summer from then on was Camp Odayin. The beautiful thing for us as parents was that we honestly never worried about her safety and health. We knew she was in good hands and that she was having a great time. For kids like our daughter, Camp Odayin is the only option for experiencing camp because no other camp can take care of the health problems and emotional insecurities that accompany heart kids.
Our daughter is now all grown-up. She graduated from college, has an excellent job, and is living on her own. We thought that her days of Camp Odayin were sadly over- but no! She went back as a camp counselor in 2015 and plans to do so again in 2017! Thank you, Camp Odayin for being there for our daughter. She wouldn't be the confident, independent young woman she is today without you!