ASHLAND — A few years ago, Atticus Zickefoose’s grandfather passed unexpectedly. Atticus was only 9 years old, but he began experiencing panic attacks and anxiety following his grandfather’s death. 

His mother, Rebecca Zickefoose, didn’t know what to do. In dealing with the sudden death of her father-in-law and her 9-year-old believing he too was having a heart attack, she was distraught. Worried about her child and about hiring an expensive therapist, she reached out to Hospice of North Central Ohio (HNCO).

They provided grief counseling for Atticus, and Rebecca noticed improvements in his behavior. 

“He was still grieving, but he was able to understand what had happened more thoroughly,” she said. “He was no longer plagued by bouts of panic and anxiety.”

Having had such a positive experience with HNCO counseling, Rebecca did not hesitate to send both of her children to the organization’s summer camp designed to help children navigate the bereavement journey.

Camp Hope helps children ages 6 to 17 learn coping skills in a fun, outdoor environment where they participate in activities like horseback riding and ziplining. 

The Zickefoose children have attended camp for the past three years. After seeing how positive their first year was, Rebecca continues to sign them up for the camp.

She appreciates how counselors and camp directors teach that grief is a process.

“It’s not like ‘it’s been a year, you went to camp, you’re done now.’ You form connections with the people there, and it’s clear that you’re always welcome, no matter how long ago your loss was,” Rebecca said.

Atticus and Gemma, now ages 11 and 8, thoroughly enjoy the activities the camp offers – especially swimming, games and campfires. But Rebecca says what they love the most about Camp Hope is that it offers an outdoor space for them to be with other children who have also experienced grief.

“Even without a single activity, just being outside in nature with people who care about them is helpful,” Rebecca said.

Coupled with fun activities is time for children to talk about their experiences and grief. Rebecca notices this gave her children coping skills and a healthy outlet to acknowledge that death is a part of life.

“It’s comfortable for them now to access emotions about their grandfather, and it made their grief a more comfortable thing to discuss,” she said.

She also says that discussions and counseling are interwoven into the camp just as grief is in life. “We don’t pretend that grief doesn’t exist, but we also don’t dwell there.”

In this way, Camp Hope gives children a space to learn how to process loss and to deal with grief in a way that does not overwhelm their lives. It’s this mix of counseling and fun camp activities that make the camp such a unique place.

Rebecca strongly recommends Camp Hope to other families that have experienced a loss, even if it wasn’t recent. She emphasizes the camp’s inclusivity, hospitality and accessibility.

“It gives children a space to talk about grief while still feeling like a summer camp,” Rebecca said.

Hospice of North Central Ohio is a non-profit, community-oriented organization serving Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Morrow, and Richland counties. Camp Hope 2018 takes place from June 19-22 at Pleasant Hill Outdoor Camp in Perrysville. Children ages 6 to 17 who have lost a loved one are encouraged to attend. Register by downloading the registration form.