SAN ANTONIO — Rebecca's Wish, a San Antonio based nonprofit is committed to providing hope to children facing pancreatitis across the nation. Camp Hope located at Morgan's in far northeast Bexar county - is part-camp, and part-popup-hospital which gives chronically ill children a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience. Camp Hope was created by Rebecca’s Wish and the National Pancreas Foundation in 2021 and it's free.
Looking at the more than 100 faces of campers, you'd never know they had a health concern just by looking at them. Camp Hope counselor Nicholas Taylor knows what it’s like to live with someone with chronic pancreatitis. His sister Rebecca started Rebecca’s Wish.
“These kids are worried about their next insulin dose is, and when their next CREON pill is," he said. “That’s not something you ever want a kid to worry about. It’s a lot of life you miss out on. For like Rebecca, the second she found out that another kid had the same disease as her… her mentality just shifted from like I’m not the only one, to there are other people like me.”
Rebecca’s mother – Christyn Taylor – president & co-founder says following through on the nonprofit’s mission is a family affair.
“They get to forget their disease for just a little bit,” she said. "They’re so used to living in medical settings and having family members do everything from meds on down. It gives them a sense of autonomy, like wait, I didn’t think I could do this.”
Without a care in the world - for five days – these kids, can be kids.
“And there’s just nothing like it, to be able to see a kid smile who hadn’t smiled in months," she said. “And say this is the best week of my life.”