The death or loss of a family member or loved one — mom, dad, sibling, grandparent or favorite aunt or uncle — hits everybody hard, but children can often have an especially difficult time understanding and making sense of the situation.
Here is where Camp Braveheart comes in.
Every year, Universal Home Health and Hospice, in conjunction with Otterbein Senior Life and with financial backing provided by the United Way of Logan County, hosts Camp Braveheart at Marmon Valley Farm just outside Zanesfield.
This past week more than 50 children, aged 6 to 13, from around the area who have suffered a loss of a family member or caretaker were invited to Marmon Valley Farm – free of charge – where they could interact and play with other kids who are experiencing a similar situation.
In addition to getting to do all of the cool stuff that Marmon Valley Farm offers — horseback riding, paddle boating, rock wall climbing, hayrides and movies — all the kids are encouraged to share their feelings with people their own age, that is, other kids with a common denominator and who can relate to what they are feeling themselves.
Lauryn Pitroff, a volunteer at Camp Braveheart, said that the children who attend Camp Braveheart often feel alone, but that being with 50 other children who have similar experiences, circumstances and feelings can help lift that feeling of isolation. The grieving kids see with their own eyes that they are not alone after all.
The volunteers at Camp Braveheart are made up professionals who work in the social services and medical fields, but Pitroff said that activities and therapies at the camp are planned for the attendees as a whole, rather than one-on-one counseling situations. The idea is to let the kids be kids and keep the pressure at a minimum.
“It’s the most fulfilling thing we do all year,” Pitroff said. “We provide kids with an outlet and let them know that not only is it OK to cry, but it’s OK to laugh, too.”
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