NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than 100 people are known to have died in devastating flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls.
The enormous loss of life, especially children at a summer camp, has left many parents concerned about their own children who attend overnight camps away from home.
Nashville therapist Sissy Goff is helping families navigate these difficult conversations. Goff, the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling Ministries, is currently leading a camp in Kentucky and understands the anxiety parents may be feeling.
"Dropping those kids off had to feel scary, and it's going to feel that way for any parent," Goff said.
Goff has extensive experience helping families work through tragedies involving children. Daystar Counseling Ministries works with the Covenant school community.
With the Camp Mystic tragedy fresh in people's minds, Goff hosted webinars to help children and parents process their feelings. During the flash flooding, there were more than 750 children at the well-known Christian camp for girls.
"To even start to imagine what happened for them - I think it shreds us in a way," Goff said.
While some parents continue searching desperately for their daughters, Goff knows countless others are grappling with their own fears, possibly worried about their children who are trying to make sense of what happened.
"I said this on the webinar, but I would certainly want to say it here... As a parent, your superpower is your intuition," Goff said.
A recording of one of the sessions, which was watched by nearly 2,000 people, including Camp Mystic families, will remain on YouTube for as long as needed.
"The way that kids process now is going to be different than 6 months from now, and as you said, when they go to camp next summer... we want to be armed with every available way to help them," Goff said.
Goff offers several recommendations for parents:
- Remember children process events differently than adults, so follow their lead
- Let children know they can share their feelings as often as needed
- If children have a personal connection to the trauma, create spaces for them to connect with others who experienced it too
- Help children find ways to contribute to healing, such as through prayer or fundraisers
- When difficult questions arise, it's acceptable to not have all the answers
Have you been affected by the flooding tragedy or have insights on camp safety? Share your story with us at Hannah.McDonald@newschannel5.com. Your experience could help others navigate this difficult time.
This story was reported on-air by Hannah McDonald and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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