Donate to Empower Camp Taylor's Heart Warriors

My name is Luis. I’m 16 years old. My little brother Leo is 12 years old and he has a heart condition called Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM), which is a condition where the chambers of the heart become stiff over time. Though the heart is able to squeeze well, it's not able to relax between beats normally. This makes it harder for the heart to fill with blood, and the blood backs up in the circulatory system. Throughout our childhood, there was always caution when we would play due to his condition, and there were many times where I was terrified for my brother when I'd see him tired and pale. But thankfully, at the age of 8 years old, my brother received a heart transplant, saving his life, which my family and I are all so grateful for.

Over the summer, my family and I attended Camp Taylor for family camp, and we really enjoyed being there with other families with similar experiences, so my little brother related to other kids in the camp going through similar circumstances. While we were there and the camp was ending, I was asked by my parents and the mentors there if I wanted to go to their teen camp, which I hesitated a bit to decide. I said sure.

That was a great choice of mine to make. When I arrived at teen camp, I was pretty nervous, shy, and kinda didn't want to be there, but over time I really warmed up to it. One of the main reasons I felt better about the place is the people, and this camp allowed me to understand my brother more. I became good friends with my cabin mates, and once I got comfortable with them, everything about that camp was so fun and something I wish to continue going to.

Recently, I was given the chance to become a mentor of the camp, which I am so very excited for! One of my tasks as a mentor is to raise money for the camp by Thanksgiving. This will help Camp Taylor continue to provide new experiences and opportunities to new Heart Warriors and families.

We would be grateful if you could help and donate to our cause!