SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (WTVF) — For one mother and daughter, a destination has meant so much more than just a few days out of the house. It's brought about a deeper understanding that has been truly life changing.
"Keep goin'! We gotta fill it all the way up!" said mom Denise Parker, sitting with daughter Amaya.
The two poured a mix of chocolate pretzels, chocolate chips, cereal, graham crackers, and marshmallows into a bag. Denise and Amaya were among the crews making a mix.
"You know what? I think you can probably put all of it in there!" Denise smiled, the two pouring in more ingredients.
Truth is, you don't know you have a good mix until you try it.
"Crunchy!" Denise said. "What do you think?"
"What is it?" Amaya asked.
"You don't know! Try one."
This was a cooking class at camp; the Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, Kentucky. It's a not-for-profit medical camp about an hour north of Nashville.
"One of our goals at camp is to make sure kids are able to connect with other kids that know what they're going through, who understand their day-to-day struggles, things they find challenging," said camp director Brittany Ransom-Doss. "Coming to camp may be the only time each year they get to interact with kids who know what they're going through."
What that means is the camp hosts family weekend retreats throughout the year and summer independent camps. Each event is tailored to a certain diagnosis like autism or epilepsy. The visit with Denise and Amaya was during the family retreat for children with down syndrome. It's no cost to families due to donors.
"I'm a speech therapist, that's my day job," said Denise. "Amaya is what we call a gestalt thinker. The things she says are repeating something she's heard before, typically from a song or movie. Having a back and forth conversation, we've never been able to do. Limited verbal autism and down syndrome together can be a very isolating combination."
The Center for Courageous Kids offers something unique for Denise and Amaya. The variety of things to do helps Denise discover Amaya's interests. Here, she found out Amaya loves theater and fishing and something else unexpected.
"I discovered Amaya loves to ride horses!" Denise smiled. "She did that for the first time here. I opened my eyes to who she is and what she likes. I had no way, really, of knowing."
Denise and Amaya are making those discoveries in a gentle environment full of friends.
"Look at you!" Denise shouted to Amaya as she rode a horse back to a stable. "Queen on the throne!"
"When Amaya is in an activity of something she really likes, and what I'd call her element, you'll hear her talk, talk, talk, talking!" Denise continued.
"I love you, mommy," Amaya said, walking over to Denise.
"I love you the most. You did amazing. You did awesome."
For Denise and Amaya, it's just about finding that good mix.
By the way, The Center for Courageous Kids is hosting a Be Courageous Nashville event at the Adventure Science Center. The event is for families of children with medical conditions and special needs.
It will be held on Sunday, May 17 from 1-4 p.m. at Adventure Science Center. The first 300 registered families will get free admission.
For more on the event, visit here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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