Boisvert Bear Heading to Camp Shane

My name is Cyndi Boisvert and I am the proud mama of of a very special boy named Luke, aka Boisvert Bear. Luke is 11 years old and he has been through alot in his lifetime. He has been chronically sick since he was born and when he was 6 years old he had an AVM rupture in his brain. Luke has recovered amazingly well but continues to battle multiple health issues. He has had countless surgeries and has to have MRI's every six months and angiograms every couple of years.  Luke LOVES sports, especially football, basketball and baseball, but his continuous weight gain has become a huge challenge for him athletically.  

For those of you who don't know me, I am not the type of person who asks for or takes help from anyone. I am a single mom working full-time to support my four children. For those of you who do know me, you know I would do absolutely anything for my children. This is why I am asking for your help.

I would really like to send Luke to Camp Shane for 6 weeks this summer. It is an amazing weight loss camp for kids with over 50 years of proven success helping kids of all ages learn about nutrition and loose weight. The average weight loss for the 6 week program is 25-30 pounds. Luke is excited about going to this camp but is affraid to go alone which is why his sister, Grace, who also qualifies for the program has volunteered to go with him. Unfortunately the camp does not offer scholarships or financial assitance and the cost is $8,000 per camper.

I simply cannot afford it on my own. I have litterally exhausted all of my resources. I have looked into refinancing my home, withdrawing money from my 401k and seeing if my health insurance would cover all or part of the cost. The really sad thing is there are no benefits that cover child obesity. My insurance company explained that if Luke's BMI is 40 or at least 35 with additional health issues such as sleep apena, he qualifies for weight loss surgery which is covered under my plan. Did you know that the average weight loss surgery costs between $12,000 - $15,000. So in other words they are willing to pay more money for my child to have surgery than it would cost to send him to a weight loss camp. I am completely frustrated and just don't get it! 

Going to Camp Shane would truly be the opportunity of a lifetime for Luke to get healthy, build his self confidence and feel good about himself. Thank you in advance for your support, every little bit helps and it is truly appreciated.