Story of Hope: Blake

“Our son, Blake had been begging me to let him go to camp after seeing his twin sister attend Girl Scout Camp for three years. However, Blake is autistic and summer camps that offer programs for students with disabilities are few and far between. He also had not spent much time away from us. As a result, I was a little reluctant to send him. However, we heard good things from his developmental pediatrician, so we decided to take the leap and register him.   

Upon arriving at camp, he was initially hesitant to be left behind in a strange place without his family. However, I could tell by just being on the grounds, meeting the counselors, and seeing the level of support that camp would be a wonderful experience for him. That said, as a mom, it was also difficult for me to leave my crying boy on that bottom bunk. Would he fit in? Would he be able to have a good time? Would he be accepted? All of those thoughts and more swirled in my brain.

It turned out that my worries were needless, as within two hours, I received pictures of Blake with a huge smile on his face, happily walking with one of his camp counselors. Over the next several days, Blake got to experience many activities that he would normally never get to enjoy. He rode go-carts, picked vegetables, painted, went down the zipline, and many other activities. He bonded with his camp counselors and was sad to leave them when we picked him up on Friday.  In fact, he still asks me about Amir and Amber. I can’t say enough good things about Camp Southern Ground. It gave my son the summer camp experience that he otherwise would not get to have.”

– Blake’s Mom