Camp Little Oak and My Life
Today, I got back from being a counselor at Camp Little Oak. Camp Little Oak is a camp for girls with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and Von Willebrand's disease, or who carry the gene for it (symptomatic or asymptomatic). I went there for a lot of reasons. For one, because I want to research those types of diseases. But now that I'm back, I can't wait to go back next year. I loved being with those girls, and the staff members. I loved their zest for life and their enthusiasm and optimism. It was one of the most tight-knit places that I've ever seen (excluding the church) and I have most all positive things to say. I also enjoyed the humor with which the hemophiliac counselors treated hemophilia. No taking themselves to seriously there (ex: "Someday, we bleeders might have a revolution, but it'd be a short-lived revolution. Just hit us too hard, and we're all down for the count," or "You clotter!"). I also have now officially seen mouth bleeds stopped with tea bags and nosebleeds stopped with tampons. Yes, just like in She's the Man. A tampon.
However, this brings up the valid question. Why do I want to research bleeding disorders? Until last Saturday, I had read most every book I could find on the subject of hemophilia, but had never met a bleeder in my life. (For clarification: bleeders is used as a generic term referring to hemophiliacs, Von Willebrand's and symptomatic carriers) Let's just say it this way: I had heard about hemophilia in passing when I was very little. I don't remember how. But, I was just fascinated. I read every book, every article, every encyclopedia entry I could find on the subject. How could one gene change so much? It was mind boggling. I just wanted to know more, and then more, and then more. And now, here I am, going to college to spend eleven years of my life learning how to learn to help these people. I just felt that it was my calling. I feel like this is where God wants me to be. Random in the eyes of the world? Probably. But the way it is.
One thing I learned this week is that I don't think of it as merely a fascinating scientific phenomenon anymore. It is a real live thing, that effects real, live people. These people have lives, they have brothers, sisters, parents, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, husbands, daughters, sons. They live. And you know, this has just heightened the whole thing for me. Don't get me wrong, the science of it is still out-0f-this-world fascinating, but it is also now a passion. And that is the way that it is now.
However, this brings up the valid question. Why do I want to research bleeding disorders? Until last Saturday, I had read most every book I could find on the subject of hemophilia, but had never met a bleeder in my life. (For clarification: bleeders is used as a generic term referring to hemophiliacs, Von Willebrand's and symptomatic carriers) Let's just say it this way: I had heard about hemophilia in passing when I was very little. I don't remember how. But, I was just fascinated. I read every book, every article, every encyclopedia entry I could find on the subject. How could one gene change so much? It was mind boggling. I just wanted to know more, and then more, and then more. And now, here I am, going to college to spend eleven years of my life learning how to learn to help these people. I just felt that it was my calling. I feel like this is where God wants me to be. Random in the eyes of the world? Probably. But the way it is.
One thing I learned this week is that I don't think of it as merely a fascinating scientific phenomenon anymore. It is a real live thing, that effects real, live people. These people have lives, they have brothers, sisters, parents, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, husbands, daughters, sons. They live. And you know, this has just heightened the whole thing for me. Don't get me wrong, the science of it is still out-0f-this-world fascinating, but it is also now a passion. And that is the way that it is now.
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