Help kids with facial differences become leaders

My name is Amanda and I’m a long time member of the AboutFace community.  I started attending Camp Trailblazers when I was 13 years old and from that day on, my life had changed.  I have attended camp every year since then, and have been a volunteer camp counselor for the past 5 years. 

Camp Trailblazers offers such a unique experience to so many people’s lives. It is a safe place where every camper and most volunteers are personally affected by a facial difference.   At camp, instead of our differences being the reason we stand out, they are what make us belong.  It is incredible to feel unconditional acceptance and understanding throughout the entire camp program.

A trip to Camp Trailblazers, for many, is the first time campers are given the chance to meet other people with similar facial differences. Often, it is the first time campers realize they are not alone in their experiences or challenges. It might also be the first time they use the words ‘my facial difference…’ while being given an open floor to talk about their experiences with peers, and for many, it is the first time they feel like someone actually understands what they are going through.

The most amazing aspect of Camp Trailblazers, are the strong connections campers make with each other.  Although camp is only once a year for a few short days, campers have the opportunity to make those initial connections with their peers.  Often, after camp is over, they continue to connect with each other throughout the year through social media and in person either on their own or at other AboutFace events. Even if campers can’t reunite throughout the year, when they re-connect at camp the following year, it is amazing to see that they still have a bond!  I have had the opportunity to witness campers standing at opposite sides of the parking lot, seeing each other, and then running in for a great big hug. This is always such a very special moment!  Speaking as a previous camper and as a current volunteer at camp, I can tell you that these connections are unlike any other. I do have a wonderful support system outside of camp, but the relationships I made at Camp Trailblazers will always hold a special place in my heart.

One of my earliest and most favourite memories of Camp Trailblazers is from my very first year at camp. I was hanging out in the cabins with a bunch of my new friends and had mentioned that I recently had a bone graft surgery done from my hip. The next two words felt amazing when 3 (out of 4) others in the room said: “ME TOO!” and we all compared our scars. That ‘me too’ feeling is phenomenal, yet so indescribable. Memories like these are reasons Camp Trailblazers is so valuable to campers.

There are so many other stand-out moments that I have witnessed over the years, especially in the past few years as a volunteer.  One example is when a camper was in tears because she was so nervous to get on the bus to come to camp for the first time. Then, by the end of the weekend, she got up on stage and sang a song she wrote about camp! Amazing!  Another incredible moment was when a camper who has Microtia, faced her fears and wore her hair up for the very first time ever in public revealing her ears, with the support of her AboutFace family all around her.  There are SO many of these heart melting moments that all happen because of Camp Trailblazers. Moments like that are why Camp Trailblazers is such a valuable program to the facial difference community.