Camp Sunshine

Wow, what an amazing weekend! I had little sleep, lost my voice, feel stretched like "butter over too much bread", but it's still a fantastic weekend!

On early Friday morning, I picked up my boy from his home and brought him with me to Winfield Hall of Residence for Camp Sunshine. We had barely settled down and only just started to talk to the other children (campers) and their befrienders, when we were packed into buses and driven to Sentosa for the camp's Opening Ceremony, of which the Guest-of-Honour was the distinguished Mrs Goh Chok Tong, and the MC none other than Singapore's funniest man, Gurmit Singh. The kids were absolutely thrilled to see him! :) While we were at Sentosa, we also played our own version of the 'Amazing Race'. The game went splendidly, thanks to the brilliant planning of the main committee for Camp Sunshine.

On Day 2, we visited the MOE May Adventure Centre, where the children got to learn about the importance of teamwork, self-reliance and confidence through a series of activities, including a high-elements challenge -- a walk across two beams suspended about 10 metres from the ground! Not every child could participate in the activities though, especially those who were wheel-chair bound. :( In the evening, there was a campfire held at the basketball court of Winfield Hall. The kids went wild with excitement at having to put up performances during the campfire, and I'm glad they did. :o)

The performances were extremely touching, and brought tears to my eyes. Just imagine, a group of children diagnosed with critical illnesses, some of them wheel-chair bound, some of them requiring injections or medication every few hours, some of them with operation scars running like railway tracks across their bodies, some of them not expected to live past the age of twenty...all these children, gathered together on one stage, singing, dancing, cheering and having fun, genuine fun, and forgetting for the moment their pain and the inconveniences of their medical conditions.

On Sunday, the mood of the camp was a little blue. Perhaps it was because everyone knew that camp would be over at around sundown. They dreaded to leave the new friends that they have come to know. But, there'll always be another camp next year, and I certainly hope they will come back again to join it. ;)

To all the lovely children at Camp Sunshine, continue in your passion and zest for life. You guys are supermen and superwomen in your own way, and I wish you all the best in all you do.