Parkland’s Burn Camp offers young survivors support, fun
Camp I-Thonka-Chi celebrates its 34th anniversary
Fallon Wallace has been attending Parkland Health’s Camp I-Thonka-Chi for nearly a decade but is the first to admit that initially camping wasn’t really her thing.
“When I tell my family and friends that I’m not available the first week of June because I’m going camping, they are like, ‘What? You’re going where?’ But I wouldn’t miss this week for anything,” she said.
For more than three decades, children with burn injuries have gathered the first week of June for an endless array of activities at a place that is free from stares and questions, and a haven where kids can be, well, kids. This year 40 campers will enjoy canoeing, horseback riding, swimming, arts, and crafts – all the things one might imagine at Camp I-Thonka-Chi, Parkland Health’s camp for children with burn injuries.
Held at Camp John Marc near Meridian, Texas, the Parkland Burn Camp, which runs from Sunday, June 1 through Friday, June 6, is celebrating its 34th anniversary. Camp I-Thonka-Chi, which is Choctaw for “a place that makes one strong or fearless, not afraid to face life,” is unlike some other charity programs and is not supported by a national organization.
Children, ages 6 to 18, can attend for free thanks to the generous donations of Parkland employees and area donors. Camp John Marc also helps with fundraising so more children can attend. During the weeklong event, campers build friendships, improve social skills, and simply have fun without being self-conscious of their scars or injuries.
“We’ve had counselors and chaperones who have come back year after year to be with the kids during camp,” said Donna Crump, Parkland Physical Therapy Manager and co-founder and director of Camp I-Thonka-Chi. “Everyone looks forward to it and many plan their vacations around coming to camp. It’s hard to describe the impact that Camp I-Thonka-Chi makes on you emotionally and spiritually. It’s something that lasts a lifetime.”
Wallace began attending camp in 2016 when she worked at Parkland as an Administrative Resident. Today, she serves as Outpatient Clinic Administrator at Ventura County Health Care Agency in California, and with the exception of the two years camp was virtual because of COVID-19, she hasn’t missed an opportunity to join her fellow counselors and campers for a week of fun and festivities.
“There’s just something special about camp. It’s heartwarming to see all the kids and feel the joy they’re experiencing because it’s a week free from stares and questions about their burn injuries,” Wallace said. “It’s also a time for me to reset because I look at these kids and see what some of them have been through and whatever I may be feeling, it’s nothing compared to what some of them have had to endure. They are truly inspirational.”
Still, Wallace laughs as she admits that camping is not her thing.
“I do not like bugs, or tarantulas, or snakes,” she says as she details that first trip to camp. “But I thought this isn’t really ‘camping.’ We’re in cabins. We’re sleeping on cots. Camping is in a tent. On the ground. Outdoors. And then you see the kids and even on the days when it’s hot and humid, you can’t help but think this is the BEST DAY EVER!”
Though their time with campers is limited to a week, it’s a time for Wallace and her fellow counselors to get caught up on the happenings of the previous years. Their tales are just as diverse as the youngsters, ranging from being chosen as a school cheerleader, to hearing all about Taylor Swift from the multiple “Swifties” who attend camp, to those who have aged out of being a camper and return as counselors and who have married and started families of their own.
“I can’t say enough about Camp I-Thonka-Chi,” Wallace emphasized. “It is just pure joy.”
For more information on Camp I-Thonka-Chi or to make a donation, please visit Parkland Burn Camp. For more information on services available at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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