PCH’S Camp Rainbow could use a few good men

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Crisp air, cool waters and tall pines are waiting for 150 very deserving children this summer. They come from every corner of Arizona suffering, along with the rest of us, through the hot months of June and July to spend nine glorious days at Camp Rainbow.

To many Arizona children, it is the familiar Friendly Pines camp grounds, but every year around the second week in August, it is turned over to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Every one of the campers coming here on August 5th are very familiar with PCH.

“They’ve all been diagnosed with cancer,” said Camp Rainbow’s Director Caley Nelson, “And, they have that common bond.”

Nelson, works year round coordinating the events, the accommodations, and the staffing for the annual trek to the pines. Finding medical staff to go is never an issue.

“Once you do it one year, you make it a priority.” The experience hooks everyone to the point that Nelson hears PCH staffers saying, ‘I can’t work that first week of August. I gotta go to Camp Rainbow!”

Outside of PCH, Nelson said plenty of women volunteer to help at Camp Rainbow for the full nine days. However, when it comes to men, they always come up short.

“It’s the guys… they think it’s not cool to go to camp anymore!”

Nelson understands it’s a commitment to take nine days off — this year from August 5th through August 11th — and put your own commitments on a back burner.

“None of these people are paid, besides the medical group,” Nelson said. “Yeah, it’s a challenge.”

And then, she introduces us to someone who does that every day.

“I am Kim Hansen, Andrew’s mother.”

Andrew is confined mostly to a wheel chair, sometimes a walker.

“Andrew has battled cancer on and off since he was four,” said Hansen who recalls the first wave of bad news, “He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, medulo blastoma, that had to be surgically removed.”

He made it through with the help of PCH. Then, more bad news.

“Two years later he was diagnosed with LCH, which is langerhans cell histiocytosis.” A very rare cancer attacking his blood and lymph nodes, but in his case it went into remission.

This year, it reappeared and now Andrew is 13. He has spent more than half his life between therapy at his home in Gilbert and doctor’s appointments and chemotherapy treatments at PCH.

“PCH is his home away from home,” said Hansen, who enrolled Andrew for his first visit to Camp Rainbow two years ago.

Consumed by his diagnosis and care for the past nine years, Hansen admits she and her husband were missing a critical component to Andrew’s childhood.

“It was absolutely amazing, because I didn’t realize how, over these past two years, how much he would grow.” Hansen said Andrew’s demeanor had lightened, “He was telling jokes, and laughing, just being one of the boys.”

Hansen stoically took a deep breath, “It’s extremely important just to have that male bonding outside of home.” The tears welled up in her eyes, “They’re Andrew’s friends. It’s so special to him!”

As Nelson rounds out her list of volunteers for this year’s adventure, she lays out the key requirements for the perfect candidate.

“I think being able to be child-like, not childish, having a great attitude, being able to have fun and embrace the kids.”

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering year round at Phoenix Children’s Hospital or in the future at Camp Rainbow, contact PCH’s Volunteer Services at (602) 933-0269 or e-mail volunteers@phoenixchildrens.com.