It is a place in the Hill Country where children who have suffered a loss can go to work through their grief. Children from across Central Texas are attending Camp Brave Heart this week.
At first glance, it seems like any ordinary summer camp. But for 11-year-old Royce McDonald, it is also a chance to heal. His father died of a heart attack in 2006.
“It's hard to think about it, or talk about it,” McDonald said. “I was not happy. Not at all. Not one bit. I was crying. I was hugging on my mom.”
One hundred kids between the ages of six and 17 are attending Camp Brave Heart this summer to not only hike and swim, but also work through the grief of losing someone they love.
“These children could have lost siblings, parents, grandparents,” Camp Counselor Doran Oatman said. “When these children come to camp, they finally feel free to let loose. They finally get a chance to realize they're not alone in their grief.”
The Valadez brothers lost their father to cancer last year. Now the older boys are trying to help their seven-year-old brother Justin understand what it all means.
“He can barely wrap his mind around how it happened altogether,” said 14-year-old Brian Valadez. “I've always worried a little bit about him because he hasn't been able to have as much time with our dad as we have.”
While the pain never goes away, Brandon and Brian Valadez say being with others who understand what they are going through means everything.
“It's helping us make new friends that have experienced the same thing, a sense of loss,” said 17-year-old Brandon Valadez. “It's kinda like a unity. We've all experienced a similar feeling from losing a loved one, so we get that connection there.”
Many of the campers will make a memory box to honor their lost loved one. McDonald says he plans to keep his father’s glasses and other small items inside.
“Anytime you're feeling sad about your loved one and you miss him, you can find something that was his and put it in this box.”
Each child will leave Camp Brave Heart with new memories and coping skills for the times when the loss seems too much to bear.
