Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/1165512
All smiles NONPROFIT BRINGS SENSE OF NORMALCY TO YOUNG CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS By Justin Averette Smile-A-Mile offers children with cancer and their families support and resources throughout the year. However, the nonprofit is perhaps best known for its summer camps at Children's Harbor on Lake Martin. Smile-A-Mile hosts seven camp sessions each summer for children with cancer. It's an experience many of the children could never have without Smile-A-Mile. Each of the free camp sessions is staffed by Children's of Alabama doctors and nurses, who care for each child's unique medical needs. "Many of these kids are newly diagnosed and new in their treatment and it's their first time as a family getting out of the hospital setting and getting to experience some sense of normalcy. ey get to come and have fun," said Savannah Lanier DeRieux, Smile-A-Mile development director. e on-therapy camp is designed for children currently being treated for cancer. Other camps include one for younger kids, a teenage camp and a junior/senior camp. ere is also a young adult retreat, which used to be held on Lake Martin but is now in Birmingham. e camps are not limited to cancer patients and survivors. e largest camp of the year is an off-therapy family camp, and there is also a session for siblings of those with cancer. "A lot of time the other siblings can feel forgotten or le out," DeRieux said. "We just want to make sure to give them love and support." Smile-A-Mile, which was founded in 1985, includes everything you think of when imagining summer camp: time on the water, arts and cras, music, food, talent shows. But the participants probably have far more in common than in most other camps. "All of these camp sessions are meant to be fun. ese kids get to have fun, and do, but they just do it under medical supervision," DeRieux said. "is is also a time for people to lean on each other for support because they all know exactly what each other is going through." Christie and Luke Allen's son Daniel Logan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when he was 3 years old. e family participated in Smile-A-Mile's hospital program during his long hospital stays. Daniel 26 | 2019 Vol: 3