For more than 30 years, Firefighters Kids Camp has given young burn survivors a place to feel understood, supported and free to just be kids.
For Stevie Carr, the Livermore camp has been part of his life since he was 6 years old.
"I have been a burn survivor since I was five. This is my 14th year here," Carr said.
Now a counselor-in-training, Carr is helping create that same sense of belonging for the campers who come after him.
"This is the one place where they can do what they want. They don't have to worry about the real world," Carr said.
This year, the camp welcomed 54 campers. For many of them, the week is about building friendships with other young burn survivors who understand what they have been through.
Lili Cuevas has been attending camp for the last four years and always brings a special companion with her.
"This is Sorbet. I got her when I was around five or seven at Christmas time and it just reminds me of my house. It's like, quote unquote, my therapy animal," Cuevas said.
While Sorbet brings comfort, Lili said the connections she makes at camp are what keep her coming back.
"We get to make more friends that are like us rather than having more friends that are just friends. They get how we feel and stuff, so it's really nice," Cuevas said.
For Stevie, those friendships and memories are why he keeps returning year after year.
"I just wanna give them what I was given. I was given a place to belong. A place to call home," Carr said.
And for Lili, each year brings new memories she carries with her long after camp ends.
"The memories that we've made here is definitely gonna stick with me for like a while. Every year I've had a memory stick with me and I hope that I can make new ones as well," Cuevas said.
For these young burn survivors, Firefighters Kids Camp is more than a summer tradition. It is a place to heal, connect and simply be themselves.
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