A worry-free week for campers affected by cancer in NJ
TABERNACLE, N.J. (WPVI) -- A special summer camp for kids and teens affected by a cancer diagnosis is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
As you pull into Camp No Worries in Tabernacle, N.J. - you quickly start to feel at ease.
At first glance, you probably see a table of young ladies working on crafts - not teens affected by cancer.
"My little brother has optic nerve glioma, and it's a brain tumor," explained Maddy Grubb, 15, of Swedesboro, N.J.
"I was diagnosed with Leukemia, and camp here makes you feel like you don't have cancer anymore," said Brooke Conklin, 14, of Medford, N.J.
Camp founder and executive director Kasey Massa understands. She was 11 when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
"That experience left me with memories of everything I no longer could do and I don't ever remember having someone who said, 'Let me tell you about this and all the support we can provide,'" said Massa.
"We have a medical team of five full-time nurses and a camp physician. We really work those medical needs into the programming of camp," she explained.
For 25 years, the camp has been bringing kids together who are fighting or have survived cancer, or have a sibling diagnosed.
This is the first year of camp for Casey Callahan, 14, of Brookhaven, Pa. Her brother is a cancer survivor.
"A lot of people are on the same path that we were on. Now that they're going through it I can support them and they can support me with different things like that," said Callahan.
Billy Cundiff of Margate, N.J. went from camper to counselor, to waterfront director after losing his little sister, Kira, when she was five years old.
He says he comes to camp each year in memory of her.
"When they talk about how they're going through their treatments with each other - it's the most heartfelt thing," said Cundiff. "I've never been filled with so much joy - radiating from their smiles. It's incredible."
Camp No Worries relies heavily on donations and volunteers. To find out more information, click here.
