GRETNA, Nebraska — A smiling blond-haired boy slid down an inflatable water slide and sprayed Anisa Hoie as he flew by.
“That’s great,” Hoie called out to him. “Awesome.”
Hoie loves spotting big smiles at Camp CoHoLo, a summer camp for kids with cancer. The camp near Gretna marked its 32nd year this summer and is led entirely by a crew of more than 80 volunteers like Hoie, who has served at CoHoLo since nearly the beginning.
The goal of the overnight camp is to let kids experience the fun of summer camp — everything from songs by the campfire to zip lines — regardless of their illness.
Hoie and many other volunteers are in health care careers so they can tackle campers’ medical needs, whether it’s administering intravenous painkillers, giving shots to boost immunity or drawing blood samples to make sure cell counts are at the right levels.
The camp draws kids in wheelchairs and those who use walkers. Some have lost their hair because of chemo treatments. The camp sometimes has kids in hospice.
Hoie, an oncology nurse at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, tells parents that if they want their child to attend the camp, the medical volunteers will find a way to make it happen. Volunteers include nurses, doctors, pharmacists and students in health care fields.
