Camp I Am Me offers safe place of healing for burn victims

MOUNT PROSPECT – For the past 33 years, Camp I Am Me by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance has helped young burn survivors throughout Illinois by providing a place of acceptance and healing at its yearly Summer Camp at YMCA Camp Duncan in Ingleside.

This year’s camp will be June 16-22.

Camp I Am Me’s Summer Camp program offers activities for campers ages 8 to 20, in addition to specialized therapeutic sessions and support groups that allow them to say, “I am me,” despite any physical or emotional scars resulting from a burn injury.

In this nonjudgmental environment, survivors feel more comfortable sharing their experiences with others who have had similar experiences. Campers enjoy activities such as wall climbing, horseback riding, fishing, high ropes course, talent show, crafts and more that bring them together to be supportive of one another.

Kelly McElligott, the Camp I Am Me president and burn outreach coordinator at Loyola Medicine in Maywood, said, “Due to a generous network of sponsors, donors and volunteers, we are able to offer this unique and empowering experience free of charge to survivors of burn injuries due to fire, electricity, chemicals and even scalding water. We invite anyone who wants to support our mission to get involved with this special journey of healing.”

Summer Camp’s goal is to help burn survivors rebuild their self-esteem and confidence, which is why more than a third of its volunteers are survivors who previously attended camp as young people. Over the past three-plus decades, Summer Camp has positively affected hundreds of lives, as evidenced by campers and volunteers returning year after year.

“It’s truly heartwarming to see how camp can positively impact these young people. It provides them with a strong support system filled with people who understand their experiences, which can change their lives for the better, both emotionally and psychologically,” said Philip Zaleski, Camp I Am Me executive director.

Summer Camp has volunteers from Illinois’ fire service and medical community, educators and individuals from the private sector. The camp aims to maintain a one-to-one volunteer to camper ratio. Although Camp I Am Me has met its volunteer needs for this year’s Summer Camp, there are other ways to get involved in the organization’s mission at campiamme.org/get-involved.

For more information about Summer Camp and other burn injury survivor support programs, as well as fire safety and burn prevention resources provided by Camp I Am Me, visit campiamme.org.