What began as a Girl Scouts project a decade ago has turned into an event that more than 30 families look forward to each year.
Heather Henderson, 26, started Camp Dreams Can Come True for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project, and now 10 years later, the camp is going strong and drawing more families each year.
The free three-day camp benefits children with facial abnormalities, with help from the Craniofacial Foundation of America and the Tennessee Craniofacial Center at T.C. Thompson's Children's Hospital and Erlanger hospital.
"It's very rewarding to see all of the smiles and to watch the kids grow up," said Ms. Henderson, who is studying child development and family studies at Middle Tennessee State University. "Everybody here has a problem, so they don't have to worry about being laughed at or being judged."
About 30 families gathered at Camp Adahi in Menlo, Ga., Friday to begin the festivities. On Saturday, the children participated in archery, canoeing, horseback riding and arts and crafts.
"It's a comfortable place for children and families to come for a therapeutic weekend," said Terry Smyth, executive director of the Craniofacial Foundation. She said the entire weekend costs about $10,000, and the foundation raises funds year-round to keep the camp going.
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Staff photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Camp Director Donna Henderson, below, assists Shaunya Jones, 10, out of a New Salem Fire and Rescue firetruck on Saturday at Camp Adahi. Now in its tenth year, the annual camp for Craniofacial patients was founded by Heather Henderson as part of a Girl Scout Golden Award project. Miss Jones is legally blind.
Mallory Youngblood, 22, has been coming to the camp every year since it began. As the oldest camper, she recently has transitioned into a volunteer role, leading horseback riding activities.
"It's been incredible, so incredible," Ms. Youngblood said of her time at the camp.
She said she always looks forward to spending time with not only her family, but all the friends she's made at the camp over the years.
But the camp isn't just for children. It also serves as a place where parents can come together and feel at home by being in the company of others who understand their daily struggles.
"These connections that you see with these families, they understand your story and you understand their story," said Megan Monahan, 34, who has brought her family to the camp for the past five years.
Mrs. Monahan's 6-year-old son, Timbo, was born with a cleft pallet, and after several years of getting to know other parents through the foundation, she decided to form a support group. Now, each year at the camp there is "mom-to-mom" and "dad-to-dad" time where parents get together to talk about their kids, the operations they go through and social aspects such as bullying, she said.
"It's just a great opportunity," Mrs. Monahan said. "It's a comfort to be with other people, and you just don't have to worry about a thing. Everybody's cheering each other on. It's a great, big family."
Brittany Cofer is a business reporter who has been with the Chattanooga Times Free Press since January 2010. She previously worked as a general assignment Metro reporter. In the Business department, she covers banking, retail, tourism, consumer issues and green issues. Brittany is from Conyers, Ga., and spent two years at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., before transferring to the University of Georgia. She graduated from the university’s Grady College of Journalism in December ...
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