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

Mon Aug 28, 2023 | 06:41pm

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.

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