Ballad Health’s Camp Firefly returns to help guide children, teens through grief

Ballad Health’s annual Camp Firefly event returns to Warriors’ Path State Park on Saturday, Sept. 27, to help children, teens and their families navigate through grief.

The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is designed to meet the needs of children and teens who have experienced the death of a loved one. Adult caregivers are encouraged to attend Camp Firefly alongside their children, as the camp offers separate services to help adults understand how to support a child’s grieving process, cope with their grief and learn how to respond to a child’s unique needs. A panel of experienced professionals will be available to answer any questions.

“We often hear that children are resilient, but they are not immune to the effects of grief,” said Sarah Hale, volunteer and bereavement coordinator for Ballad Health Hospice. “Kids sometimes don’t have the words to explain what they need when they are processing the loss of a loved one, and that’s where Camp Firefly comes in. It’s an opportunity for kids to connect with not only counselors and mental health professionals, but also other kids who are going through similar experiences. Grief can be extremely lonely and isolating, so our hope is that these kids leave Camp Firefly with a sense of hope and healing.”

Hospice workers offer a variety of interventions and services to children and teens who attend Camp Firefly, including one-on-one sessions with counselors, quiet times for meditation, prayer or reflection and busy times with vigorous activities.

“Grief isn’t one-size-fits-all for adults, and it’s certainly a personal experience for every child who experiences it,” Hale said. “We’re here to help kids find a way to cope in whatever way works for them, whether that’s through a silent prayer and meditation or through exercising or other physical activity.”

Camp Firefly is free to attend and provides a safe, fun and compassionate atmosphere for campers and their families to explore their feelings. Throughout the day, campers will be able to:

• Develop an age-appropriate understanding of death
• Connect with peers who have experienced similar losses
• Improve self-esteem
• Reduce feelings of isolation
• Establish and strengthen coping skills

Campers between the ages of 4 and 17 are welcome to participate and will be grouped with peers in a similar age range, giving each camper the opportunity to discuss their feelings of grief, celebrate their lost loved ones through memory-focused activities and learn healthy coping skills. Trained volunteers will serve as camp buddies to guide campers through activities, which are led by professional social workers, counselors and nurses.

Lunch will be provided, and the camp day will conclude with a memorial ceremony.

Preregistration for Camp Firefly is now open. Day-of registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register or learn more about Camp Firefly, please visit www.balladhealth.org/classes-programs/camp-firefly, or contact Ballad Health Hospice at 423-431-6146.