At Camp Heart + Hands, Kids and Families Find Support and Connection

For more than a decade, Camp Heart + Hands has given children with cancer and their families a place to connect and have fun together outside the hospital. The event offers families a break from the pressures of treatment and an opportunity to spend time with others who understand their experiences. Behind the fun-filled weekend of activities is a group of dedicated Stanford Medicine Children’s Health nurses who help plan the camp and volunteer throughout the event to support campers and their families.

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health first highlighted Camp Heart + Hands in the 2019 article Summer Fun for Packard Children’s Patients. This year, the tradition continued with about 180 campers, including 24 families attending for the first time.

This year’s theme, “Heart of a Champion,” brought the spirit of sports to the weekend. During Saturday’s carnival, campers met bunnies, ducks, and chickens in a petting area; made colorful creations at tie-dye and arts and crafts stations; played games; and went on pony rides. Hula dancers and aerialists provided entertainment, and campers later cooled off at an afternoon pool party.

Beyond the activities, the weekend created a welcoming environment where children could relax and be themselves.

For 10-year-old Carla Alfaro-Mata, this marked her third year attending Camp Heart + Hands. Diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in 2024, she attended this year with her parents and younger brother. After her first camp experience, Carla began to realize that she was not alone and that other children were navigating similar challenges.

At camp, Carla knows she is surrounded by people who understand, said her mother, Consuelo. If she feels tired, she can rest without having to explain herself. That sense of acceptance and belonging is one reason Carla looks forward to returning each year.

A Place of Support for Parents

Camp Heart + Hands also provides meaningful opportunities for parents and caregivers to connect. On the first night, parents gathered for an informal, support-group-style conversation. The open forum allowed them to share as much or as little as they chose, whether that meant talking about their experiences or simply listening.

Consuelo said the gathering is especially valuable because every family in the room understands some aspect of what the others are facing. Although parents may be at different points in their journeys, they can offer one another empathy, encouragement, and a sense of community that may be difficult to find elsewhere.

A Different Way for Nurses to Connect

More than 60 Stanford Medicine Children’s Health nurses help plan and staff the camp, serving on the planning committee and as camp counselors. The nurse volunteers represent a wide range of units and specialties across the organization.

“Many nurses return year after year, which creates an important sense of continuity for our families,” said Darcy Swisher, a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and founder of Camp Heart + Hands. “It also gives nurses the opportunity to reconnect with children and families they may have cared for in the hospital and watch them grow over the years.”

Swisher said the nurses’ clinical experience helps campers participate safely and provides families with reassurance throughout the weekend.

“Many of our campers have complex medical needs, so having experienced pediatric nurses at camp is especially valuable,” Swisher said. “Just as importantly, camp allows nurses and families to connect outside the hospital and build relationships in a completely different way.”

For Molly Williams, a nurse on the hematology-oncology unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, volunteering at Camp Heart + Hands offers another way to support children she has cared for in the hospital. This was her sixth year volunteering at the event.

In the hospital, Williams often cares for children during some of their most difficult moments. At camp, she gets to reconnect with them in a completely different setting—playing, laughing, and enjoying time together in the camp environment. She explained that spending this time with patients can also help prevent burnout. Instead of focusing on procedures and treatment, she can simply have fun with them.

One of Williams’ favorite camp traditions is the Saturday night dance, when campers, families, and volunteers dress according to the year’s theme. She especially enjoys seeing everyone’s creativity and looked forward to the sports-inspired costumes and outfits created for this year’s “Heart of a Champion” celebration.

Camp Heart + Hands has been made possible by Jacob’s Heart, serving as the sponsoring nonprofit since 2017. Additionally, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health has contributed a total of $30,000 since 2024 to Camp Heart + Hands through the Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Heart of Nursing Award, funded by the Association of Auxiliaries for Children Endowment. For campers, families, and volunteers, Camp Heart + Hands is much more than a weekend of activities. It’s a place to share experiences, create connections, and have fun in an environment where they can be themselves and know they are not alone.