A life-changing family camp experience

February 2018

TO: All those involved in the selfless work of CherishAbility

My parents, Jon and Carol Mattson, attended the CherishAbility family program at Adventure Unlimited’s 100 Elk Outdoor Center this past fall with my uncle, Warren Kane. And our family has not stopped talking about it since!

The experience was life changing for Warren, bringing him out of his comfort zone and providing a confidence boost that was so sweetly fostered by the wonderful staff and volunteers. This experience, too, was life changing for my parents in a way that I cannot describe. Honestly, the way they express their feelings about it has less to do with words and more to do with the look on their face.

Anyway, I could go into vivid detail of how a brother-sister relationship can grow more in one week than in 50-something years, how a spouse can finally relate a little bit more to being the parent or sibling of a special needs individual instead of a passive bystander, or how a sister’s concern and anxiety can dissipate to be fully replaced by joy and freedom, but that’s not my story to tell.

I just wanted to reach out to thank you all, for the work that I am aware of and also the vast work that I’m sure isn’t on my radar. Your love and services are reaching such a far expanse, and for that I am eternally grateful. I have been personally blessed by the experience and support you provided for my family, but I am also grateful for the work you are doing for the entire Christian Science movement with your inclusiveness and open arms. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Much love, Emily Mattson