PEOPLE MAGAZINE – Siblings Sara, Lara and Caleb McClanahan all have spina bifida — and their mom, Donna, says the condition has never defined them.
“They have no concept that they should feel bad about themselves for who they are,” Donna tells PEOPLE of her three adopted children. “They’re happy in their skin.”
For the McClanahan family, that same spirit of acceptance is part of what makes the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK) in Scottsville, Ky., so special.
From Sept. 11 to 13, Donna and her husband, John, will travel with Sara, 17, Lara, 14, and Caleb, 14, from their home in Corydon, Ind., to attend CCK’s Spina Bifida Family Retreat.
“When we come across the hill and see those blue roofs, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s nowhere we’d rather be,’ ” Donna says.
The fully accessible, 168-acre camp provides free programming for children living with disabilities and lifelong illnesses and their families. Since opening in 2008, CCK says it has served 45,000 campers and their families from 46 states and 13 countries, representing more than 100 medical diagnoses.
For the McClanahans, one of the biggest gifts the camp offers is something many families might take for granted: ease.
With more than two decades of experience in public relations and journalism, Mike is a strategic communications leader who focuses on media relations and reputation management.