A Santa Barbara Camp for Kids Coping with a Parent’s Cancer
Camp Kesem Brings Together Children with a Difficult Shared Experience
Camp Kasem at Lake Cachuma | Credit: Courtesy
Jonathan Roberts, executive director of Camp Kesem at UC Santa Barbara, learned how to grieve at a young age. He was only 10 when his father was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, which had spread throughout his body.
“They gave him six months,” Roberts shared. “He pushed through for another six months after that, and we were thankful…. I grieved for a long time.”
As a child forced to face difficult emotions, Roberts struggled to cope with his father’s diagnosis. However, his perspective changed when he found Camp Kesem, a free sleepaway camp for kids with a parent or guardian with cancer.
