Sebastien Finds a Place to Truly be Himself at Easter Seals Camp
Freedom, independence, friends – these are a few beautiful words that are repeatedly heard as past Provincial Easter Seals Ambassador, Sebastien Parent, recounts his experience at Easter Seals camp. This past summer, Sebastien attended Easter Seals Camp Woodeden for the very first time, an experience that he describes as “So much fun. One of the best weeks ever.” When Sebastien found out he would be attending Easter Seals camp, he was thrilled, “I was over the moon, honestly! I couldn’t even believe it because I’d never had the chance to go before this year. I’ve always talked about it, but I’ve never actually had the chance to experience it myself, so this year was a whole new opportunity for me to get to know people and just try new things,” he shared. Sebastien continued, “it was nice to be on my own and independent.”
“Going to camp, getting to meet those people, getting to make those connections is so vital to shaping who you are as a person.”
Sebastien has cerebral palsy, which he describes as “a condition that affects the tightness and control of my muscles. I was born with it due to a lack of oxygen at birth and we only found out when I was four,” he shared. Having cerebral palsy, Sebastien has grown accustomed to living in a world that is simply not built for him. Being able to experience a fully accessible camp environment was an extremely welcome change. He shared, “I’d never had the opportunity to experience a full camp with no limitations. It was so freeing because you didn’t have to worry about what device you were going to take or how you were going to get there. You just showed up and they’d help you out. There was no hitch, it was just you being you.”
“Without fully accessible camps, kids wouldn’t have the opportunities they do to be kids.”
At camp, Sebastien was excited to explore his interests and learn new skills free from limitations. “I did a lot of sports and games,” he said, “I learned a lot of cool tricks and I learned how to maneuver my way around, especially when you’re using a sports chair. You want to be the first one to push forward and get to the ball first.”
Sebastien shared the importance of fully accessible camps like Easter Seals camps, “without fully accessible camps, kids wouldn’t have the opportunities they do to be kids,” he said. “If the world didn’t have any accessible camps at all, a large majority of kids would be missing out on what makes their childhood so memorable. Going to camp, getting to meet those people, getting to make those connections is so vital to shaping who you are as a person. If they didn’t have that, you’d be stripping kids of something that is so important.”
“This year was a whole new opportunity for me to get to know people and just try new things. Without people helping Easter Seals and giving these kids the opportunities that they’ve had, without you, it wouldn’t be possible.”
To the donors who help keep Easter Seals camps open, Sebastien expressed his gratitude. “Thank you so much,” he shared, “without your support, without people actually helping Easter Seals and giving these kids the opportunities that they’ve had, without you, it wouldn’t be possible. You guys make it so that kids have the chance to be kids and if you’ve seen the videos or you’ve seen the pictures, you just know how much of an impact you’re truly making. You are changing our lives and creating friendships that will last a lifetime.”