Camp Discovery - ArielaProject.com

Hi! I'm Ari; and I've been blessed over the years by attending the American Academy of Dermatology’s Camp Discovery, a summer camp for kids living with chronic skin disease.   So I've created ProjectAriela.com to raise funds, and awareness for Camp Discovery.  It is my hope to raise $1,800, to send at least one deserving child to Camp Discovery so they too can create life long memories and learn to love the skin they are in! 

You can donate on this GoFundMe site to help me reach this goal and see our progress together as we raise funds!  You can also see our efforts at ArielaProject.com.  Combining blogs, inspiring stories, and my love for music, this site will take you on a journey of  bringing joy to others!

Ever since I was four years old, I have been struggling with severe eczema on my skin. Though I have learned to cope with my conditions, I have always struggled with things like being on time to places, participating in activities, and making it to school. And, though my friends are extremely supportive of me, I used to feel like nobody really understood what it felt like to literally want to jump out of your own skin from discomfort. I never really appreciated or realized that other kids were experiencing the same thing as I was, until one lucky summer when I got the opportunity to go to Camp Discovery! There, I met dozens of other kids who experience the same or similar conditions and situations as I do. 

One of my earliest camp memories is simply just meeting all of the other girls that I would be sharing a cabin with for the next week. I was a little nervous at first but with friendly kids and ambitious counselors, I quickly settled into the environment and into the camp spirit. Meeting other kids who know how I feel on a day to day basis was just amazing. It felt so good to get to know other kids who know what it feels like to layer yourself with lotions and creams, and get to know each other while being in a happy and supportive community. One of my favorite things about going to camp every summer is that I don’t just get to meet other children just like me, but I also get to do normal fun camp stuff that all kids enjoy, with my new friends. Camp Discovery is one of my favorite summer camps and one of my happiest places to be. My biggest wish would be that every child who experiences atopic dermatitis or any form of dermatological disorder, gets the opportunity to visit Camp Discovery, because it has truly changed my life for the best.