It’s not spelled wrong. It’s that time of year again for the Kammy’s Kause trip. This is the largest fundraising event for Anna’s support group, Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, or 4p- (Four P minus). For those of you who don’t know it’s the fourth chromosome that is affected. The star of the show, or one of them, is Kamdyn Hiner. She is the daughter of Jared Hiner and he has made this even happen now for 21 years.
We camp because of this event. We have been going for about 18 years or so. It’s a fun weekend event. It starts on Friday and ends on Saturday and it is something we try to never miss. Anna enjoys the car ride and the event very much. It’s full of hustle and bustle just like she enjoys.
We have always had something happen when going to the event. Mudslides in the park where it was first hosted, camper storage units that would not let us have our camper during a power outage, breakdowns on the way and all other things that happen when traveling. This adds to the adventure.
Our first small hiccup was that I thought I reserved from Thursday until Sunday this year. I made the reservations and asked Paul to check on them. Upon check in I was told we had made them so we were leaving on Saturday. I stood at the counter and silently prayed they could find us another day and another spot. I said the event IS SATURDAY, we can’t be checking out! They did thank goodness, find another spot for us. Not sure how we both missed that. I decided last year that we cannot drive a 4 hour drive to Fortville, Indiana and get to the VFW hall by 6 and set up our camper. At this point in life with Anna we try to brainstorm how to make all things a bit less stressful. A day to get there and set up before the events begin is a must.
Since we moved our site due to my booking error we ended up next to another family we know very well, the Chermacks. They have six children and Louis, the youngest, has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. We’ve known them for years and we ended up camping right next to them. It was great. I was glad to be “neighbors.” We kayaked on two days and we had a campfire night. I ran with our dogs that we brought each morning. We ran across the highway on the overpass and in beautiful tranquil cornfields. What a great getaway. Life at the campground, outdoors, in nature is my favorite place to be.
I am continually amazed that I wouldn’t be here or know any of these people if we hadn’t been impacted by Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. While every child in a family introduces new relationships, it is the special needs community and the families who share similar experiences that create meaningful connections and friendships.
Anna did well on the whole trip. She does love to ride in the car and be busy. The dogs and her shared the backseat and she sits in her carseat as we have to pull the camper with our truck. Another hiccup to the wheelchair. We and the families had a good laugh just talking about all the scenarios to our lives. We even have certain cars because of the wheelchair situation. It becomes reality over time. Never underestimate what it takes to be a Warrior Mom. It’s another job on top of the job of life. We deserve extra credit. Give yourself that.
Enjoy the photos from our marvelous weekend. Thank you Jared and all the volunteers that make this happen. It is an event that means a great deal to us and Anna and all the families impacted. We met a new family at the campground, Laura, Roger and their son, Eric. Always meeting and learning. Thank you Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome you’re a blessing in disguise.
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