Zammett seeking support for Camp Kesem at UA
By David Miller
Youth was a shield for Makayla Zammett during her mother’s cancer treatment.
When Zammett was 4, her mother, Beverly, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Makayla doesn’t remember the emotionally taxing characteristics of treatment, like side effects and shifting prognoses. She doesn’t even remember hearing the word “cancer.”
“I don’t think my mom brought it up because I wouldn’t have understood it,” Makayla said. “I didn’t realize it until I got to elementary school. I think that’s kind of how parents try to deal with it with younger kids.”
Beverly has been cancer-free since Makayla was 6. Makayla, now a junior majoring in athletic training at The University of Alabama, is thankful her mother softened the details of her diagnosis, though her older sister, who was 9 at the time, understood the reality of the disease.
“She still couldn’t give my sister all the details because she was trying to be positive and strong for her children,” Makayla said. “You don’t want to lie to your kids, but you don’t want them to worry if you’re going to make it or not.
“She was a single mom who had two kids and was sick. I can’t imagine how much pressure she felt.”
Makayla said these experiences have made her more empathetic to families fighting cancer and more motivated in her leadership role of Camp Kesem at UA, a unique, non-profit organization that operates free summer camps for children who’ve been impacted by their parents’ cancer.
The UA chapter of Camp Kesem was founded in 2016, and 20 children attended the weeklong camp at the 4-H center in Columbiana in 2017. The UA chapter is staffed entirely by student volunteers who create the camp activities, staff the camps and raise funds throughout the year. UA students raised more than $27,000 for last year’s camp and have raised $15,000 of their $35,000 target for this year’s camp.
Makayla, co-director of Camp Kesem at UA, hopes to host 45 children at this year’s camp. It’s an ambitious goal, but with a year’s worth of experience in managing, planning and fundraising, she’s eager to grow Kesem into an impactful, sustainable chapter.
“Having that year under our belt makes it easier to explain to people and get others motivated like we are,” Makayla said. “Kesem is a big commitment for our members – it’s 50 percent school and 50 percent Kesem – as we try to make the support for our families year-round by sending out welcome and care packages.”
Makayla’s passion for Kesem grows through each interaction with campers and their parents. While camps consist of outdoor activities, like climbing and canoeing, Kesem engages campers in activities like “Empowerment Night” and “Cabbage Patch,” which gives kids opportunities to share their experiences with cancer, both positive and negative.
“Every kid shared last year and felt comfortable enough to share,” Makayla said. “That’s the kind of family atmosphere we’re trying to create at Camp Kesem. They say when you go to camp that you can’t really describe what it’s like, but when you’re done, you just want to bring everyone to it. There’s just so much magic in everything we do.”