My time with Camp Simcha was amazing, they not only looked after my daughter, Pippa, but also made sure Emma (my other daughter) and I were looked after too.
We don’t live near Manchester or London but we all felt very included. Pippa was first ill during the end of Covid but online art classes were arranged for her, which really cheered her up when she wasn’t feeling well. The delivery of gifts and food parcels were always delivered just at the right time, if we were feeling low or had a setback. If we were unable to attend an activity that was arranged in London, then we were offered an alternative day out local to us, we never felt left out. To have Daniella (our family liaison officer) at the end of the phone, for anything, helped me as mum to cope on my dark days.

What Camp Simcha meant to you; A favourite memory or highlight
For me it was the family retreat. I did not go the first year as I did not think I would fit in (a single mum who wasn’t very religious), however we did go for year 2 and 3 and how wrong could I have been, I was made so welcome, did not feel left out at all, and found it such a great help to be with other parents with poorly children.
For Pippa, she would 100% say it was having the chance to go to camp in America. It was a chance for her to just be a child and not think about being ill, she met some amazing people out there and did some fantastic experiences also. It also gave me the opportunity to relax while she was away.
Whenever Pippa was at anything arranged by Camp Simcha I could relax knowing she was being well taken care of.

Where are you now?
So Pippa has finished her Leukaemia treatment and is concentrating on losing her weight gain that was a side line of the medication she was on, she is about to take her GCSE’s this summer and looking forward to college after. She has regular check ups at our local hospital and these will continue for several years.
We have as a family returned to a new normal where I no longer panic if Pippa is unwell and although we no longer have the day to day support of Camp Simcha we often talk about what an amazing support they were and how fortunate we were to have had them on our journey. 

 Why are you happy to be part of the Camp Simcha Alumni?
I definitely want to be part of the Camp Simcha Alumni. I want to make sure that every person I come into contact with knows what an amazing charity Camp Simcha is and how much they supported our family. I want to be able to give back in any little way that I can and I also want to continue to see all the amazing things that you do.