Camp MAGIC helps children cope with grief

Ryan Garthoeffner, 12, climbs a rock wall Saturday, June 4, 2017 during Camp MAGIC at Jefferson City's Binder Park. SSM Health at Home Hospice offered a one-day grief retreat called Camp MAGIC (Mending A Heart, Grief in Children) to help children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
Ryan Garthoeffner, 12, climbs a rock wall Saturday, June 4, 2017 during Camp MAGIC at Jefferson City's Binder Park. SSM Health at Home Hospice offered a one-day grief retreat called Camp MAGIC (Mending A Heart, Grief in Children) to help children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

For children who experienced the loss of a loved one, finding a way to express their emotions is an important part of the healing process.

To help, SSM Health at Home Hospice has been offering a one-day grief retreat called Camp MAGIC (Mending A Heart, Grief in Children). Saturday's event at Jefferson City's Binder Park marked the event's third year,.

Designed for children ages 6-12, Camp MAGIC promotes communication between children and parents about their loss, as well as provides resources to parents, including handouts and articles on understanding grief responses in children, activities for remembering loved ones, and helping children cope with grief and loss, as well as lists of area support groups and counselors that can provide ongoing bereavement support.

Children attending the retreats are paired with a trained volunteer to provide companionship, support and supervision throughout all activities. The camps provide children with a safe space to express their grief; engage in special activities to help normalize their feelings; and experience a sense of togetherness with other children who have lost loved ones.

"Our camps are geared toward providing a safe place for children to express themselves and share their feelings with their peers working through the same issues," said Jony Lootens of SSM Health at Home Hospice. "We strive to build an atmosphere of comfort and openness at Camp MAGIC so that each child knows there is no right or wrong way to feel."

Camp MAGIC is free of charge thanks to funds provided by the SSM Health Hospice and Home Health Foundation. The program began in the St. Louis region in 2012, followed by Mt. Vernon in 2013 and Jefferson City in 2014.

"This year, we had more children who lost a parent or sibling, and that creates a struggle as the family dynamic changes," Lootens said. "A number of actors can bring on strong emotions such as having to move away and going to a new school."

Lootens said the volunteers they recruit usually have experienced a loss themselves.

"We keep expanding the camp, rather than just serving children," she said. "We have parent support groups that come out and groups for teenagers experiencing a loss. The parents are in a struggle trying to help their children grieve. We want to give them the resources to be able to cope themselves and help their children cope."

Saturday was the second year Connie Haslag, of New Bloomfield, and her 8-year-old grandson have come to Camp MAGIC. She said the camp has helped him deal with the loss of his grandfather, Connie's husband.

"He can talk about it now, and he couldn't talk about it before," she said. "He wouldn't talk about it. He'd get angry and just hit or punch things. After his first time out here, he started to finally say, 'Papa's gone.' A few days ago, he asked if we could bring grandpa back, but I had to tell we couldn't. Now that he can talk about it, things have been so much better."

Haslag said, by coming to the camp, she hopes she and her grandson can get closer in their relationship.

"He loves his buddy and the activities, especially the confidence trail which makes him feel so much stronger about himself," she said. "It's helped me, too. Last year, I was in the adult group, and it helped me. You never get over the loss of someone so close like my husband, but the camp has helped me get on with the bereavement process."

For more information on Camp MAGIC or to register, visit ssmhealthathome.com/camp-magic or call SSM Health at Home Hospice at 1-888-488-7768.