Camp Courage Brings Healing to Hartland Families

For the past five years, Camp Courage has been helping children in Hartland heal and cope with the loss of a loved one by offering a free two-day summer camp.

Open to all Livingston County children ages 6 -17, Camp Courage combines traditional activities such as bonfires, camp songs and zip lines while teaching campers unique skills and tools associated with grief and loss.

It's a program that has seen success with many of their campers, including Nicholas Calandrino of Brighton who lost his older brother in 2007.

The path to healing

Nicholas was just 12 years old when his brother died in a motorcycle accident. It was a devastating loss for the young boy who was especially close to his older brother and viewed him as a hero and role model.

“He (Michael) was just his best friend,” mother Maria Calandrino said. “Nicholas told him everything- especially at that age. …There are just some things guys are supposed to talk to guys about and he was his guy.”

After years of traditional counseling and trying to deal with the pain of his brother’s death, 16-year-old Nicholas spent a weekend at Camp Courage where the healing finally began. 

Surrounded by people who understood his pain created a sense of “normal in an un-normal situation, and Nicholas, now 18, said that type of environment brought a "huge sigh of relief." 

“I was really anti-social and I didn’t want to open up about anything because I didn’t think anyone would understand,” he said. "It helped me change my perspective."

Camp Courage

For many of the campers at who attend Camp Courage, forgetting their loved one is one of the biggest concerns, according to bereavement counselor and camp director Claudia Nafsu, and is just one aspect the staff focuses on.

"We always work on memories and help them take the positives aspects or characteristics of the person who died and help them incorporate that into their lives so they stay with them forever,” Nafsu said.

The combination of traditional, fun camp activities mixed with the specialized focus of grieving and healing has proven to be successful over the years with Camp Courage helping more than 300 children and teenagers since 2008.

This summer, Nicholas will return to Camp Courage as a volunteer working with the younger campers where he hopes to help others grieve and heal just as he has.

It's an experience that just a few years ago would have been impossible for Nicholas to consider and credits his experience and the people he met through Camp Courage for where he is today.

“Without this camp I probably wouldn’t be as social as I am with people today,” he said. “It really helped me reach out to people who were struggling and tell them there is a place you can go and there are people who will help you.”

Registration for Camp Courage is currently underway and is held at the Howell Nature Center in July. Registration is required and space is limited. Registration deadline is July 1, 2013. To register or for more information, call or email Claudia Nafsu at 734-327-3224 or nafsucr@trinity-health.org.