Edward J. Madden Open Hearts Camp

Okay so I am sure I could on forever and ever and ever about this camp. It was paradise to me for three years and looking back on it it was certainly one of the more meaningful summer experiences that I have taken part in.

In order to best talk about this experience I am doing so while flipping through a photo album that I have that captures at least some of the many memories that I have from camp. I have a journal that has a few dialogues that were written by giddy girls about certain boys (counselors) but in order to maintain the privacy of young girls' fantasies I will not publish them. Though I want to. :P

The camp has very few buildings as there are very campers per session as compared to a religious camp for example. There are about 30 kids per session in two bunk houses (girls/boys). There is also a rec hall that was the favorite location of many due to games like pool, air hockey and Foosball as well as air conditioning! There is also the main house which is where we ate and also where the nurse's office was located. There was also a a drama shed up the hill and a tiny crafts building located behind the rec hall. The camp is set in the Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts and is very beautiful with the Hills all around it. Monument Mountain is located nearby which is one of the taller peaks in Hills (from what I remember) and is also hiked by some of the campers who want a challenge (I believe I did it all three years, quite a climb for someone who can get out of breath walking upstairs!) I also recall creating a legend about Monument Mountain but I don't remember it, I think it had something to do with it being haunted by someone who fell down the side of the mountain. I definitely told it at campfire though.

The thing I remember most from the rec room was that for about an hour we were left more or less unsupervised as the counselors were outside the rec room having a meeting. So this is where much of the "dating" occurred. I mean just cause we're heart kids doesn't mean we're not crazy high on hormones! :P There was a lot of dancing that happened and general kiddish flirting. Funny how some of this still applies today, "__insert boys name___ can you help me, I don't know how to shoot pool" guy wraps his arms around you to show you how to hold the pool cue. Oh yeah, it was that shameless. (Okay so maybe this is not the best way to advertise the camp, I promise we did more than flirt! )

We were lucky enough to have small numbers so that we could go on trips. Some notable outings include Shakespeare plays at the local theater, a trip to the Norman Rockwell museum and picnics on the lawn at Tanglewood listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra warm up for an evening concert. These were all really cool cultural events!

The really interesting thing about physical activity at Madden was that there was no time when people could not participate. Everything was made so that we were challenged but accomodated. We palyed soccer but we had a lot of sub-ins and had breaks every ten or so minutes. We climbed the mountains but did it slowly. Lots of snack breaks and water breaks were provided and there were incrediably passionate staff members that made the whole experience really easy for kids who were used to not being able to participate and feeling left behind.

As I have mentioned in the dedication post earlier, one of the super things about Madden was the fact that I can still rely on my friends from that camp if a heart thing comes up. They have all been there, they know what it's like and we can still support each other. Even though we may not see each other often or at all ultimately we know we have friends that can back us if things get really bad. When I feel alone with my heart condition camp memories can get me through and that is probably the most precious thing of all.



At the top of Monument Mountain!!! Go GIRLS!!