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West Frankfort, IL
Parents of Anthony Bechelli, 2005 camper
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 "I would like to thank everyone at first descents for everything that you have done for Anthony and for us. We sent you a young man who was some what confused and unsure of himself. You sent us back a young man who was smiling, happy and ready to take on the world. To say he had a good time is an understatement. It is organizations like First Descents that shine a light for kids like Anthony who are traveling through a very dark time in their life." |
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St. Louis, MO
2005 Camper |
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"The positives of camp sure are rubbing off because today I got a job at St. Louis Children's Hospital in the pharmacy department. If it wasn't for camp I wouldn't have had the confidence and mood I had going into the interview. It is a dream job for me and I can't stress how much of an effect every person at First Descents has had on my life."
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St. Louis, MO
APRN, PNP Pediatric Hem/Onc St. Louis Children's Hospital |
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 "The emails I have received from Anthony Bechelli's and Chris Burtelow's parents remind me of why I do what I do, and affirm my belief that your program is really filling an incredible void in the world of childhood cancer survivors. This is a population I dearly love, but I feel they are so underserved. " |
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Boston, Massachusetts
2005 camper |
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"The Week in Colorado was one of the best of my life. I cannot believe how much fun I had pushing my limits and exceeding my own expectations. Now that I am 5 years out of surgery, I know my limitations, but don't often go beyond my comfort zone. I have often considered myself disabled and avoided activities my friends did, thinking I couldn't do them myself. However, after kayaking, white water rafting and rock climbing, I've decided that I can do much more than I ever believed possible! Since returning home, I have been pushing myself and thinking about First Descents whenever I hear myself say "I can't. "
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Forte Wayne, IN
Referred Travis Martin, 19 yrs old, to First Descents as 2005 Camper |
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"Thank you for the wonderful experience you provide for these kids! I am so pleased to hear that Travis had a good time. He is at an age that our organization doesn't do a very good job of servicing, so I am glad that we can refer this age group to your program. Some kids are ready to be done with the whole oncology camp thing when they get to that age, while others, like Travis, aren't ready to let go, and would benefit from young adult programming. I can't thank you enough for your work with this age group! I will certainly keep passing the word about First Descents. " |
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Nampa, Idaho
Heather Hall's parents (2004 campers) |
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 "We wanted to take a few minutes and say thank you for giving our daughter back to us. When she found out she had Leukemia the child we once knew withdrew (which we had expected). Due to your camp and her being able to be around other people who are going through the same thing as her, did a world of good. We now have the daughter back that we once knew. We were so happy to have her back and telling us all about camp... but, after about a week we were all ready to gag her! We were also ready to cut off our ears off and send them to you. Thank you, First Descents, from the bottom of our hearts. " |
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Cincinnati, Ohio
Family friend of Alexander Fields, 2004 camper |
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"Alex came home full of stories and laughter. He had a fabulous experience ...He said that, in the last night, everyone talked "for real" and all cried, and talked about cancer. I asked him if they talked about cancer other times. He said, very firmly, Yeah, we talked about it all the time, every day. And this from a young man who NEVER wanted to talk about it, at one point in his life, and who hid the fact that he is a survivor from most of his peers. " |
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"My cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2006 and the ensuing treatments that I received left me feeling betrayed by my own body.  At 30 years old, to find myself with only one leg and without the strength or balance to participate in many of the activities I had previously enjoyed, I had a lingering sense that perhaps the active lifestyle I had enjoyed pre-treatment was a thing of the past. Within weeks of receiving my prosthetic leg, as I was regaining the ability to walk, I came across a brochure for First Descents. My acceptance into the program gave me added inspiration to work harder at physical therapy and to get to the gym for extra workouts on occasion. But nothing could have prepared me for the experience of the camp itself.
Watching my fellow participants push themselves beyond their perceived physical limits was awe-inspiring to say the least. And the exhilaration I felt in climbing a rock wall or learning to roll my kayak gave me a joy and adrenaline rush that I hadn’t felt in months. The staff and volunteers who run the programs do an outstanding job of creating a safe and encouraging environment, both physical and emotional, in which patients/survivors of all backgrounds and abilities can challenge themselves and encourage their peers to do the same. It’s an experience vital to the healing process of a traditionally underserved population and is, without doubt, one of the most uplifting activities I have enjoyed since my cancer treatment. I can't wait to go back, and I recommend First Descents to every young survivor I meet."
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"The experiences in my life have shaped who I have become. Being a cancer survivor has shown me more than anything and I would not change that for anything. My sister and I agree that our time in Montana was the best week in both our lives. The stories we tell to our friends and family are short because there is no way for them to understand. Thank you for all you have done and for making everything possible." |