NEW PORT — Campbell medical school faculty and students volunteered at the 14th annual Wings Camp, hosted by 3HC Home Health and Hospice provider for Eastern North Carolina. The camp is for children 8 to 16 years of age who have had a significant person in their life pass away.
The activities during the camp weekend help the children learn they are not alone in their grief and their feelings are normal. They are also taught how to deal with grief and face anxiety and receive professional support from trained social workers. Most importantly, they receive support from other children experiencing the same feelings.
Dr. Francine Anderson, assistant dean for postbaccalaureate studies and professor of anatomy, and Dr. Robin King-Thiele, regional assistant dean and chair of internal medicine, volunteered along with five second-year medical students.
“The most significant moment was watching children of all ages interact with each other — letting their innocence guide their way,” Anderson said. “They rarely used words, usually just a comforting arm around the shoulder or a hug,” shared second year medical student Elizabeth Willis.
On the first night, the CUSOM volunteers participated in a karaoke icebreaker. The medical students sang a Spice Girls song for the campers.
“Not only did we have a good time being silly together,” said student Amber Duda, “but we also proved to the children that there was nothing to be embarrassed about and karaoke was indeed fun.”
Several activities, including the icebreaker, were oriented around helping the participants grieve and the volunteers learn how to support the grieving process.
“This experience has taught me how to deal with loss as a physician,” said student Anne Marie Pop. “So often, I wonder, ‘How will I ever be able to talk with future patients about a lost loved one, or even deal with the loss of my own patient?’ This camp has shown me the last thing you want to do is put up a barrier between you and your patient — the best thing you can do is listen to their concerns. Let them talk to you about how they’re feeling. And don’t be scared to also feel sad, angry, and cry yourself.”
The volunteers were there for professional experience, yet they were impacted on a personal level as well. “I do not know if words can even describe the impact this camp has had in my life, both educationally and personally,” said Amber. “On the first day of camp, I was unsure of what I could do to help these children…they ended up helping me in return. I not only worked on communication and empathy, but I also was able to grieve the loss of my grandfathers.”
The CUSOM volunteers witnessed progress in the campers grieving process through just being present and interacting in a setting where it was okay to grieve.
“The candlelight ceremony by the sea,” Elizabeth Willis said was the most significant moment for her. “The kids got to express a quality about their loved one that they would like to carry forward. We witnessed the kids who were most guarded and closed off open up.”
Anderson said she is thankful for the camp and the impact it has on children who are experiencing significant loss that is a part of the human experience.
“I enjoyed helping children navigate an often difficult, emotional part of life — grieving — that should not be ignored,” Anderson said. “It requires time and effort to work through mixed emotions.”
“I have been a physician with hospice since 2005, and I have heard positive feedback from 3-Wings campers every year,” added King-Thiele. ”The program is well-balanced — campers learn it is OK to have fun while grieving and moving forward is not forgetting.”
The CUSOM team admires the participants for being a part of the camp and taking a healthy step in the grieving process. As Duda shared, “C.S. Lewis once stated, ‘Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny,’ and I wholeheartedly believe each child I had the opportunity to meet this weekend will grow to be incredible adults.”
And King-Thiele was excited by the CUSOM response to the program.
“I am so proud of our students,” she said. “They jumped in as mentors and positive role models for the participants by simply having fun – kayaking, swimming, and playing kickball. Community service is an important part of the medical school’s mission. We hope the 3 Wings Camp and other similar opportunities will continue on to become CUSOM traditions.”
— by Sarah H. Bowman, JD