LAKE WALES, Fla. — Most of us know how difficult it can be to lose a loved one. The feeling of grief can be overwhelming, and that’s when you’re an adult. Imagine how it feels to a child. Thankfully, there’s a local grief camp that takes place a few times a year in the Tampa Bay area.
LOSING HER FATHER
“It’s been nine years since he’s passed away,” said Giuliana, a 12-year-old girl.
Her father died in 2015 when she was just three years old, and her grandmother died when she was seven.
I asked her how she was coping with the loss of her father and grandmother. “Yeah, I’m doing OK. My mom mostly helps me get through it,” she said.
Giuliana told me about a bad experience she had with a classmate on her late father’s birthday. Because of the emotions of that day, she was brought to tears at school.
“He said that ‘it’s not that big of a deal. Get over it.’ And it is a big deal because I lost him, and he doesn’t understand that because he’s never lost anyone,” she explained.
HOW GRIEF IMPACTS CHILDREN
“The loss of a loved one for a child can change the trajectory of their life if it’s not addressed appropriately,” Dr. Reginald Riley, vice president of support services and patient experience at Chapters Health System.
He’s also a licensed therapist and said children, often, are not equipped to deal with grief. After losing someone, they may resort to isolation, self-mutilation, and behavioral issues.
“Some children have suicidal ideations or depression,” said Dr. Riley.
CAMP CIRCLE OF LOVE GRIEF CAMP
Dr. Riley recommends therapy for children dealing with grief and creating an environment where they feel heard and have a community, a community like Circle of Love Grief Camp.
“The goal of the camp is to not only have fun,” said Katie Spence, senior manager of social services at LifePath Hospice. “We have smores, we have boating, we have zipline, lots of fun activities, but we’re also going to do grief activities that really focus on grief expression and memorializing those that we’ve lost.”
Chapters Health System has several grief camps throughout Florida. This one in Lake Wales is for children living in Hillsborough County.
RETURNING TO CAMP AS A COUNSELOR
“So, what was your favorite part of camp today?” asked Stefany Peralta to campers around the dinner table.
“My favorite part would have to be when we did the little note things to our parents or our loved ones that passed away,” replied one camper.
Peralta is a Camp Circle of Love counselor, but she understands from personal experience what these children are going through.
“In 2012, I lost my mom to ovarian cancer,” said Peralta.
She was once a camper here.
“And I loved camp so much that I just decided to come back when I turned 18 and volunteer and I haven’t missed a camp since,” she said.
Coming to this camp and working through her grief in community inspired her to make it a career. So much so that she got her Master’s in social work.
“And I just graduated in December and I’m now a full-time trauma therapist… So... it’s come full circle of love,” she said as she giggled.
