Photo: Eluna

Camp Forget-Me-Not/Camp Erin D.C. Helps Grieving Kids Who've Lost a Loved One

By Leon Harris and Robin Gould, WJLA ABC 7 News, Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — Fifteen-year-old Maddy McQuillan has only recently been able to take off what she calls her "mask," and she credits a very special camp for allowing her to do so.

Last summer, Maddy attended "Camp Forget-Me-Not/ Camp Erin D.C., a camp for children six-17 years old who are grieving the death of a loved one.

"The most powerful part of camp for me was when we make boatsand just listening to other children and other teenagers tell, like, speak out the names of the people that they've lost. I saw myself," she says.

When Maddy was 8 years old, her mother died. As a teen, she lost someone else important in her life. At school and in everyday life, she felt no one could relate to her loss. But at Camp Forget-Me-Not/ Camp Erin D.C., everyone - adults included - are grieving the death of a parent, sibling, or someone else important in their lives.

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