When families exit the elevators onto the sixth floor of the Doctors’ Office Tower at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, they usually encounter a large waiting area and a check-in desk.
But for six days in July, the hematology-oncology clinic and infusion space was transformed into a camp, thanks to the Sunrise H Camp, a program of the Sunrise Association in partnership with the Gordon Jewish Community Center.
“We hope the camp can provide an opportunity for patients and families to have a sense of normalcy and fun during their clinic visit,” said Meredith George, MEd, CCLS, one of the child life specialists for hematology-oncology and infusion clinics at Monroe Carell. “Especially for those kids who might be unable to participate in summer camps due to their treatment, we are bringing the camp and fun to them!”
And that is exactly what Skylar Volinsky experienced as she and her mother, Amy Hunsicker, entered the clinic.
“I could not wait to get back for the fun,” said Volinsky. “It was such a big surprise.”
The family makes monthly visits from Huntsville, Alabama, to the clinic after Volinsky’s bone marrow transplant in 2025. She also received infusions to treat a rare disorder called CTLA-4 haploinsufficiency, a genetic condition that impairs the normal regulation of the immune system.
“This has been the perfect day,” smiled Hunsicker. “We have an MRI scheduled later, and this is the perfect distraction for Skylar. She is super anxious about that. It’s incredible that everyone is participating and festive. I’m enjoying it as much as Skylar.”
Currently, the clinic participates in Sunrise on Wheels, a weekly program that provides hands-on volunteer support for patients every Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A volunteer roams the clinic with a rainbow-colored trunk filled with games, crafts and interactive activities to engage patients and create a fun, supportive atmosphere.
The success of the half-day interaction led the Sunrise Association to pilot a six-day camp environment for the clinic. The hope is that it will be shared with other pediatric hospitals offering cancer therapies.
Started in 2006, Sunrise Association Day Camps offer free camping experiences to children with cancer and their siblings. There are 15 Sunrise Day Camps throughout the country and more than 87 weekly Sunrise on Wheels programs within children’s hospitals.
“We are always looking at how many more kids we can serve,” said Deanna Slade, Vice President of Camping and Related Services at Sunrise Association. “Monroe Carell has been a great partner and supporter of us and has seen the value of what we can bring to the kids with our wheels program. We are so happy to have the opportunity to bring hope, healing, happiness and the magic of Sunrise into hospitals in a very different way.”
More than 100 patients-turned-campers participated in the Sunrise H Camp activities.
