TORONTO- In the heart of Toronto’s downtown core, there’s a place where summer camp continues all year-round.
It’s a place for children living with cancer. A place where children can rediscover the magic of being a kid again.
“Ooch Downtown is a place where 800 families access friendship and fun year-round in the evenings and weekends,” Sarah Nelles, Director of Programs at Ooch Downtown said.
An extension of Camp Oochiegeas in Muskoka, Ooch Downtown opened its doors in 2011, for children too sick to travel to summer camp up north or families for whom camp is culturally unfamiliar.
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“Camp Ooch gives the freedom back to kids, where a lot of freedom and power has been basically taken away from them,” said Pradeep Paul, whose daughter attends Camp Ooch Downtown.
Located a few blocks away from SickKids hospital, this 18,000-square-foot facility includes a multi-sport area with lots of room to play games and a two-storey accessible rock wall to challenge all ages and ability levels.
Sarah Nelles, Senior Director of Programs at Ooch Downtown, said the camp gives children a place where they can belong.
“It is the most magical place I know! This facility gives kids a community. Especially in an important time when their community of school, playing on sports teams is gone. Their community is Camp Ooch.”
The camp lets the children escape from reality and enjoy being a kid again.
“It’s very special, it’s like a get away from the hospital. You don’t have to worry about your medications or doing tests,” said Ambika Paul, a camper at Downtown Ooch.
“It brings back the happiness from before,” said Paul. “Growing up with a disease like this, your limited to a lot of things of what you can and can’t do, and with Oochiegeas here, the limit is your imagination apparently.”
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