If you have been following Team Summer, you know that our Team Summer kids recently gave gifts in TWO new states — New Hampshire and Maine. For Team Summer, new states mean a flood of new nominations! So last week, we launched an emergency fundraiser to cover all the activity. Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve already raised $2,000 toward our $8,000 goal. Can you help us get all the way?
At the end of our story last week (Chain of Giving – Part 1), Team Summer kid Azalea had just made her very first nomination: five-year-old Camryn in New Hampshire, officially bringing Team Summer to a brand new state!
This is Camryn’s story.
It started with strep throat that just kept coming back. Over the course of a year, Camryn battled strep eight different times. Then, her parents noticed her skin beginning to turn yellow, and Camryn frequently complained that her stomach hurt. Concerned, Camryn’s mom took her to her pediatrician, who ran bloodwork. Later that night, the family received a phone call telling them to go straight to the ER. By then, Camryn’s blood supply was so low that the ER doctors struggled to draw enough blood to continue testing. Camryn was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, where she received two blood transfusions. That’s where her family heard the heartbreaking news: five-year-old Camryn had leukemia.
Since then, Camryn has undergone more than 14 rounds of chemotherapy. It’s been really hard. Along the way, she was separated from her friends, and all her hair fell out. Once when Camryn was able to attend a dance class, her classmates asked why she was bald, making Camryn feel different during a time that was already overwhelming.
That’s when Team Summer kid Azalea entered the picture! Azalea knew about Camryn because their moms had connected on social media. Azalea knew firsthand some of the challenges Camryn was facing and wanted to let her know she was not alone. She nominated Camryn to receive a surprise Team Summer gift, and the two girls got to meet for the very first time on a Zoom call.
After Camryn was welcomed to Team Summer, her parents pulled out a bright purple gift bag — Azalea’s gift! When Camryn reached inside, she pulled out a pair of wolf ears. You could tell she was a little confused! But then she realized the wolf ears were a CLUE, and a huge smile crossed her face!
Her surprise was a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, the indoor water park she had been wanting to visit for a long time! She was over the moon that she would finally get to go!
A huge thank you to Azalea for bringing Camryn to Team Summer and helping us get started in a new state!
And you’ll never guess what happened next! Camryn turned around and nominated a six-year-old girl named Emma from ANOTHER new state for Team Summer! The chain of giving that started in Georgia, traveled to Florida, and then New Hampshire was now making its way to Maine!
We can’t wait to share Emma’s story with you next week! In the meantime, we have already received many new nominations as a result of these gifts. If you could help us handle these requests, we’d be grateful!
HELP US REACH OUR $8,000 GOAL!
And here is something so sweet — Azalea and Camryn recently got to meet in person when Camryn’s family went to Florida on vacation! Instant besties!
*Team Summer, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
