Megan Seely, right, helps her cousin Rachel Taylor, with an arts and crafts project at an MDA summer camp in June. (Submitted photo)
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Teen cherishes experience
Camp caters to youths with muscular dystrophy
By Kristen Waggener, kwaggener@miconews.com
It didn’t take longer than a week for Megan Seely to realize the importance of raising awareness about muscular dystrophy.
The week she spent as a volunteer at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy helping her cousin Rachel Taylor showed Seely how important the experience is to the children who participate.
“My cousin heard about it, but to be a counselor, you have to be 16, so I went last year and this year,” Seely said.
Campers are matched one-on-one with counselors, who they can request before the camp starts. It’s then the counselors’ job to assist the campers in everyday activities like horseback riding, arts and crafts and swimming.
Because people with muscular dystrophy, like Rachel, suffer from symptoms like muscle weakness and lack of mobility, the week of experiencing the camp’s freedoms is fulfilling, Seely said.
“When you’re there, all you hear about is it’s the best week of the year,” Seely said.
After returning from the camp in June, Seely felt inspired to make more of a difference than she already had.
It costs about $800 for each camper to attend, none of which is burdened on the camper’s family. Rather, the camp is sponsored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
“I came home from camp and told my mom I wanted to change my senior project because I wanted more people to know about camp,” Seely said.
But because the deadline had already passed for the senior projects, Seely decided to take it upon herself to independently raise money for the camp through several events.
Seely said she plans to have a bake sale-type event at this year’s Cider Fest, the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October, with the help of a booth donated by the Louisburg Cider Mill. She also plans to work with a retired firefighter in Olathe and make a corporate presentation to KCP&L, where her father works, and possibly to Hallmark, where her mother works.
“I really like just being able to take care of my cousin when she’s away from home,” Seely said.
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The week she spent as a volunteer at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy helping her cousin Rachel Taylor showed Seely how important the experience is to the children who participate.
“My cousin heard about it, but to be a counselor, you have to be 16, so I went last year and this year,” Seely said.
Campers are matched one-on-one with counselors, who they can request before the camp starts. It’s then the counselors’ job to assist the campers in everyday activities like horseback riding, arts and crafts and swimming.
Because people with muscular dystrophy, like Rachel, suffer from symptoms like muscle weakness and lack of mobility, the week of experiencing the camp’s freedoms is fulfilling, Seely said.
“When you’re there, all you hear about is it’s the best week of the year,” Seely said.
After returning from the camp in June, Seely felt inspired to make more of a difference than she already had.
It costs about $800 for each camper to attend, none of which is burdened on the camper’s family. Rather, the camp is sponsored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
“I came home from camp and told my mom I wanted to change my senior project because I wanted more people to know about camp,” Seely said.
But because the deadline had already passed for the senior projects, Seely decided to take it upon herself to independently raise money for the camp through several events.
Seely said she plans to have a bake sale-type event at this year’s Cider Fest, the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October, with the help of a booth donated by the Louisburg Cider Mill. She also plans to work with a retired firefighter in Olathe and make a corporate presentation to KCP&L, where her father works, and possibly to Hallmark, where her mother works.
“I really like just being able to take care of my cousin when she’s away from home,” Seely said.