Aileah Carlson

December 2023

Camp Mak-A-Dream is a camp located near Missoula, Montana, that focuses its programming on children and adults affected by cancer. During the summer, the camp has youth programming (including a camp for children whose parents have cancer), and in the fall and spring, they have adult programs. Each September there is a week just for ovarian cancer survivors! Camp is always free to participants. Although you need to arrange and pay for your own travel, they do offer $300 travel scholarships to first-time attendees.

I attended the ovarian cancer retreat this past September which was a wonderful experience where I got to spend a magical week with other women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Having just turned 40, I was concerned that I would feel out of place among a bunch of older women, but that was not the case at all. I was in a cabin full of women around their 40’s, and I felt very connected with the older women as well. Most of the women in my cabin had rare types of ovarian cancer, but there were two others with high grade serous like myself. Some had been off treatment for many years, some of us were receiving IV chemo, and others were on maintenance therapy. We spent so many hours talking about our various treatment plans, how cancer has affected our lives, relationships, careers, what we think of our doctors, and everything else imaginable. We also spent hours being goofy, laughing until our stomachs hurt, sharing stories, and eating delicious food handmade by camp staff and volunteers.

Over the course of the week, I became close with women of all ages, some newly diagnosed like myself and others who have lived with this for over 15 years. Many have been through multiple recurrences and some, none at all. I learned a ton from the other women in attendance and feel grateful that I got to spend so much time with these remarkable people. It was amazing to feel an instant bond with everyone there – from the participants, to the staff, to the volunteers.

There was so much to do each day that it was hard to decide how to spend my time. Activities included interacting with the horses; participating in art activities or DIY art projects in the amazing art barn; pickleball and other sports; a cooking class; soaking in the hot tub; aquarobics; yoga; hiking the butte; walking to the nearby river; sunbathing, playing games in the game room; and more. I engaged in activities that were frightening like climbing the rock wall, fun like zip-lining and archery, and out of my comfort zone such as line dancing and doing art projects. There were also group sessions held by a licensed social worker that included themes such as “Living with Fear of Recurrence” and “Cancer’s Effect on Family and Friends.” There were fireside chats each night led by the social worker in which we could discuss anything and everything in a supportive environment. Everything was optional, and we were always encouraged to do whatever made our heart and soul happy.

The friends I made at camp will last me a lifetime, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend. There is no one who understands living with ovarian cancer other than those who walk the same line. I definitely plan on going back again! You can visit their website, campdream.org, for more information.