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For many kids, camp is a normal part of their childhood.\u00a0 But for kids suffering from serious health complications, camp isn\u2019t always an option.<\/p>\n
According to curesearch.org, 43 kids are diagnosed with cancer every single day. With these diagnoses comes the loss of normalcy.<\/p>\n
On December 6, 2012, Nathaniel Fournel lost his sense of normalcy when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.\u00a0 The USC sophomore says that one of the most difficult parts of his experience was the fact that not many people understood what he was going through.<\/p>\n
\u201cHearing the words, \u2018I know it\u2019s got to be hard,\u2019 from people who didn\u2019t really know was really, really hard for me,\u201d Fournel said.<\/p>\n
He found comfort in Camp Kemo, a camp designed specifically for kids with cancer. There, he found friends in the exact same predicament.<\/p>\n
Kelsey Sawyer, a Midlands resident, is looking to create a campsite specifically with kids like Fournel in mind. In 2004, Sawyer\u2019s younger brother, Cole, passed away from a rare form of cancer at age 11. Now, in Cole\u2019s memory, Sawyer is planning to build Camp Cole, Columbia\u2019s first entirely ADA-compliant campsite designed for people with physical and mental disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to feel empathy from others, not sympathy. That\u2019s what Camp Cole really wants to embody,\u201d Sawyer said.<\/p>\n
She recently purchased a 40-acre property off Garner\u2019s Ferry Road for the camp. The $10-million project is strategically located just 15 miles from Palmetto Health Children\u2019s Hospital. The campsite will have a gym, a pool, and its own health center to accommodate the campers.<\/p>\n
Sawyer hopes that Camp Cole will not only be a retreat for those suffering from cancer, but a getaway for anyone in need of a safe haven.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a gift to the community,\u201d Sawyer said.<\/p>\n
Now that he is cancer-free, Fournel looks forward to making the transition from camper to camp counselor when Camp Cole is finally built.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to be a part of this impact,\u201d Fournel said.<\/p>\n
Camp Cole is set to open in summer of 2022.<\/p>\n
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This 40-acre property off Garners Ferry Road will soon be home to Camp Cole, the Midlands’ first ADA-compliant campsite.\u00a0 Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Fournel.<\/p>\n
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These barns will be renovated into a cafeteria, lodging, and a health center to accommodate the campers.<\/p>\n
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