Los Angeles Times - 21.09.2019

‘A

lejandro, do you know what
cancer is?”
The social worker had
just walked into my hospital
room and sat down on the
edge of my bed.
She explained I had just
been diagnosed with leukemia.
As a 9-year-old, I wasn’t too aware of
what “having cancer” meant.
To me it was just something that adults
got. And to be fully honest, I thought every-
one who got cancer died from it. I was
scared. I was trying to make sense of all her
words. I just knew that I wanted to feel
healthy again.
I had no idea this was only the beginning
of a 2½-year battle.
After about a month in the hospital, I
was allowed to go home and begin outpa-
tient treatment.
I would return to the hospital once a
week for chemotherapy, and it was during
one of those visits that I was told about a
place that would change my life.
It was a summer camp for kids who were
going through, or had gone through, the
same things as me: Seany’s Camp Reach for
the Sky. It is for children with cancer and
their siblings and located in the mountains
of Julian, Calif.
To this day, it is unlike any other place
I’ve ever been.
Sure, it has some of the typical summer
camp activities, such as hiking, talent shows
and archery.
But what makes CR4TS stand out is the
people.
That camp taught me so much about
myself. I learned how to talk about my feel-
ings and listen to others do the same. I
learned how to empathize. And, above all, I
learned the true meaning of love.
I always tell people that camp is the way I
wish the rest of the world could be.
When you are a kid with cancer, and you
make friends with other kids who have
cancer, losing friends to cancer is not un-
common. Throughout the years, I’ve lost so
many of my friends.
But the memories we made at camp
allow us to keep alive the memories of those
who have passed.
After I was in remission, and then de-
clared cancer-free, I became old enough
that I “graduated” from camp.
But I would still return year after year —
as a counselor.
In mid-2012, I was preparing to move
from Oceanside to Los Angeles to attend a
graduate program in teaching at UCLA. But
first, I had summer camp. I arrived to find I

had been assigned to the teen group.

And I noticed we had a few new volun-

teers.

At camp we go by nicknames, mine being

“Mr. T.”

Her name was “Periwinkle.”

“Periwinkle” was a nursing student at

San Diego State University who had volun-

teered to be a counselor after learning about

camp through one of her classes.

We became friends that week and began

hanging out as soon as we returned home.

On our first date, we went to the

Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.

We ate dinner, had ice cream and spent the

night talking while we looked out at the bay

from Seaport Village.

I remember thinking how beautiful she

was that night and how easy she was to talk

to.

I knew she was someone special.

After just a few dates, it was time for me

to make the move to Los Angeles. It was

hard being so far apart, even though we

spoke on the phone daily. We would also

take turns making the drive to see each

other on weekends.

When it was my turn to drive, I couldn’t

wait to get to her. I would wake up extra

early to make the two-hour drive.

Each time, it seemed like the visit would

go by so fast that, before I knew it, it was

time for me to get on the freeway back to Los

Angeles.

By the time Periwinkle graduated, we

knew our lives were destined to be together.

She looked for nursing positions in the Los

Angeles area and found something right

away. We decided to move in together.

I think I knew from the day I met her that

I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

But it took me about six years from the day I

met her to finally pop the question. I guess I

just wanted it to be perfect.

Periwinkle is a huge Disney fan. And

Disneyland and California Adventure are

among our favorite places to spend time

together.

As her birthday approached — I figured

it would be best to ask her on her birthday —

I bought an engagement ring. And I enlisted

her sister, Linda.

During the car ride to

the park that day, I was

super nervous. I kept

feeling my pocket to

make sure the ring box

hadn’t fallen out.

Once we got inside the

park, I secretly texted her

sister, who had gotten

there about an hour

earlier to get into posi-

tion with her camera.

When we got to Pixar

Pier at California Adven-

ture, I told Periwinkle I

wanted to give her her

birthday present.

And I got down on one

knee.

Periwinkle — I guess I

can just tell you now that

her name is Christina —

is still a pediatric oncology nurse in the Los

Angeles area. I am a high school teacher in

El Sereno. I am in remission and living a

relatively healthy life.

We’re getting married today. Camp will

be front and center at our ceremony: Aside

from family, fellow campers will make up the

biggest group of guests.

One of our close camp friends — his

camp nickname is “Yoda” — will officiate.

I can’t help but think that cancer — this

horrible disease — is what brought us to-

gether. Shortly after we started dating, she

shared with me that she believed pediatric

oncology was a calling for her.

It’s been almost seven years since we met

at camp.

We’ve returned as counselors every year

and will again, but now as husband and wife.

The author is a counselor at Seany’s Camp

Reach for the Sky, theseanyfoundation.org

The sunny side of ‘cancer camp’

By Alejandro Trujillo

John W. TomacFor The Times

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