This camp provides a chance for children to see th...

This camp provides a chance for children to see that even though they have physical disabilities they can still be children. My daughter has Type 1 diabetes and was starting to suffer from anxiety and mild depression from the fact that she's not around many other children with this disease. Before she left she had become some-what introverted and only wanted to spend time with family, however, upon entering this camp we noticed a significant change in her personality and fears. After her time at camp she has spoke non-stop about her experiences and her fears, depression, and anxiety have greatly improved, she left home afraid of what the future held and not really seeing that she wasn't alone in dealing with this disease, she then came home feeling more secure and unafraid of what the future holds for her. This camp preforms miracles, they give hope and friendship to children who the outside world show pity and say things that no child should ever hear, especially when it comes to Type 1 and the many misconceptions, this camp breaks those fears for these children and give them the time of their lives! My daughter did things that I never imagined she would at camp, made tons of friends that she is still in contact with via telephone, and we plan to meet up with the other families of the children she made friends with so that they can all benefit long past Victory Junction! I am also really surprised at the guests that came and visited our children and very grateful to the Petty family for showing my child that even with this invasive disease she can still be her old self, the person she used to be before onset of diabetes and I feel as if I got my old carefree child back! I will forever be grateful for the experiences my child shared, the friends she's made, and the chance to see that there are many other children facing some of the same issues as she does! I would completely recommend this camp to any family of a child with disabilities, you will see a whole new child once they come back home, yes leaving them is scary, I literally had an anxiety attack from leaving her behind but now I know it was 110% worth it and would definitely allow my child to go back in the future. Also the staff there is amazing, they work so very hard to keep your child's mind off their disease, show them a fantastic time, and fun that last all day long, not to mention they are extremely knowledgeable and willing to do whatever it takes to keep your child safe and healthy at camp with minimal intrusion to their daily activities, and VERY thorough in learning you child's particular healthcare routines and issues that could arise and how you and your specialist want those issues handled, plus at the end of camp they provide a VERY detailed medical report along with a short summary of activities your child excelled in! This camp was one of the best decisions we have ever made for our daughter and her mental wellbeing along with a fun experience where she was the norm!