Meet Breana

My name is Breana, and I’m a twenty-three-year-old former camper who lives with a rare autoimmune inflammatory disease and two hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) genes. My family was unaware of my HSP genes until I was a senior in High School, but Camp had prepared me long before my diagnosis for the fight ahead. See, no one knew what was wrong when I was becoming so much sicker in adolescence. But Camp was there regardless, and I learned a lot from the experiences and wonderful people at Hole in the Wall. 

I was twelve when I first entered through those magical Camp gates, and from then until I was seventeen, Camp was my safe place that saved and treated me in ways the best hospitals couldn’t. It gave me a time and place to heal and grow with people who truly understood rare diseases and the medical and emotional challenges I faced. As a twenty-three-year-old woman, I can see that Camp gave me a family with unconditional love, along with the ability to live in my truth and accept my conditions for all they are – all they can do, but also everything I can do despite them. 

Nos became yeses at Camp. The towering rock wall would’ve been a definite no in my doctor’s eyes. It was in my mother’s until the counselors made her more comfortable. Little did she know, that yes unlocked much more than just an opportunity to climb a rock wall. It enabled me to realize doctors aren’t always right, and their answers aren’t definite. My mother put enormous trust in Camp and in return, was in tears as her daughter climbed that wall. With every peg that I grasped, I realized I’m stronger than my sickness, and nothing is impossible. 

Ten years later, this experience still impacts me tremendously. When high school teachers said pursuing a Criminal Justice degree was not a smart choice because of my health, I said, “No, I’ll make it work. My health can’t hold me back from every job I may want to pursue.” Now, I am one of the youngest inductees in my university to the only Criminal Justice Honor Society, holding an academic excellence award that is only passed out to one student out of more than six hundred. I’ve also been on the Dean’s list each semester, and have been offered job opportunities. 

Camp taught me to live in my truth, not to damper my ambitions, and move to the beat of my drum as long as I’m safe and having fun. It is an oasis that, as a child, adolescent and young adult, I still visualize returning to, which helps me in my darkest nights and at times when pursuing my ambitions is challenging. Hole in the Wall gave me the confidence to take back the power not only from my conditions but also from how society labels and views them. I no longer allow perspectives to be made; I help change them with kindness and education. I fight for accommodations in areas that I love the most. 

Camp made me comfortable speaking up for my needs and others. I knew because of Camp that I wanted to volunteer and take the kindness and love I felt at Camp out into my community. I have done and will continue to do this, from mentoring and volunteering in high school and university to donating food to the needy and helping others whenever possible. The story doesn’t end when you age out. That’s where the story begins. You can choose to take that magic with you outside those heavenly gates into the world to make a difference that truly makes a “hole” difference to somebody’s life. Just like Camp does to everyone who enters those gates.