Camp Hobé Kids

Last summer, seven-year-old Lincoln and his twin brother, Logan, packed their bags for Camp Hobé Kids Week, their first time sleeping away from home and family. Because they had participated in Camp Hobé day camps in past years, Lincoln’s family knew that they would be in good hands and that camp would mean a break from the hospitals, treatments and appointments that typically fill the days of a cancer patient. 

Both boys love being outdoors and are interested in nature, bugs in particular, so they thrived at camp where they were able to go on bug hunts and even try something new: the zip line! Lincoln and Logan’s mom is especially grateful that at camp, children with medically complex situations get to spend a week just being kids and having fun. 

Upon arrival, Lincoln bonded with Devon, a Camp Hobé counselor and former camper herself. Devon remembers what it was like to come to camp from her home in Idaho for the first time as a newly-diagnosed teen. She, too, was a little nervous to stay away from home but quickly formed connections with others who were going through similar challenges and appreciated that she got to feel “normal” amongst peers who also had scars, ports and worried parents. Like Lincoln, Devon is also a twin whose sibling was able to attend camp with her while she was in treatment, an experience she says allowed her sister to meet other kids who had siblings with cancer and to have the focus on her for a bit, too. Devon and her sister attended camp for four years, after which Devon began training to be a counselor. As a counselor today, Devon says it is “amazing to give back to the camp that gave us so much and help ‘bring the magic.’ Lincoln is the happiest kid I’ve ever met and his laugh is contagious.”