Jayco and Alex (11 and 9) are two Inuit boys full of energy! They love to climb trees and swing on monkey bars, swim, bike and both like all things Pokemon. They both have an invisible disability called FASD as well as an intellectual disability. FASD does make day-to-day activities hard as they struggle with emotional regulation, and social skills (especially reading people's body language, and working memory). For people they meet (coaches, teachers, new friends) it can be a little confusing as their developmental age does not match their chronological age which means that expectations are often mismatched. Despite these challenges, they are sweet, kind and loving boys with a real zest for life!
This summer they had an amazing opportunity to attend Camp Kennebec a special needs camp in Arden, Ontario. It was like a dream come true! They went for one week and by the end were wishing to stay. They loved nearly everything about camp except the occasional bugs! Their favourite things were tubing on the lake, nature activities, and the high ropes course. All staff at the camp have incredible working knowledge for supporting different abilities, which made the experience so much better for Jayco and Alex. They were in a place where people understood and fully accepted them. The ratio of campers to staff is two to one so there is an incredible amount of support and the boys didn't feel like they were some of the only campers that required extra help (as they often do in other settings) They were also in a place where all the campers had different abilities and they could experience that they were not alone.
Without the funding provided by the Guelph Wish Fund, it would have been impossible for Jayco and Alex to attend this camp. They (and their mom) are so incredibly grateful that they were able to go and have this life-changing experience).
Qujannamiik! (thank you in Inuktitut)
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