The COVID-19 pandemic was all about keeping everyone safe at home, but for the Gillan family – and hundreds like them – it was the start of a whole new way to connect with others sharing a sight loss journey.
CNIBLakeJoe@Home, a curriculum of virtual camp programs was launched in 2020 to keep the camp community connected. In-person programming was not permitted by law but where there’s a will, there’s a way! “Onsite” turned into “online” and virtual programs gave guests the chance to continue learning and laughing with family and friends, not just for one-week a year, but year-round!
Tavish Gillan began experiencing sight loss at the age of eight but it was only in 2019 that he began to experience more intense symptoms of sight loss.
His mom Andrea had worked in research for years and applied herself to finding something uplifting and enriching for Tavish. She stumbled upon CNIBLakeJoe@Home’s virtual programs and signed Tavish and herself up for the “Reading Room” program.
“Tavish loves being read to so it seemed like a great place to start,” explains Andrea. “We loved how casual and friendly the session was.” Tavish, who is now 20 years-old, describes his first impression in one word: “Wow!”
Three years later, Tavish and Andrea are the top visitors to CNIBLakeJoe@Home’s virtual programs. What keeps them coming back again and again?
“Our friends,” states Andrea plainly. “These folks are our friends. You know who you’re going to see, and we like to visit and chat. And there’s such breadth in the programming too. We never expected programs like song writing and improv. It’s just so fun for all of us. My husband has also started joining the sessions whenever he can!”
Tavish had never been to CNIB Lake Joe in person, but that changed in 2023!
“As winter turned into spring, knowing that we were going to go to camp as a family, in person, was huge!” Andrea describes. “Everyone was rooting for us. It was nice to have people coaxing us along.”
One of the highlights of their first-time visit was meeting their virtual friends in person.
“When the bus pulled in and volunteer Jessica Bailey was standing there to welcome us it was the best feeling ever!”
The family quickly signed up for activities they had been hearing about online for years. Tavish sang “Edelweiss” at the Talent Show and Andrea tried her hand at pottery.
The Gillan family are now camp enthusiasts, encouraging everyone to come to camp.
“Just do it!” Andrea urges. “Know that you’re going somewhere where you’ll be supported. Everyone is super friendly. You’ll meet all kinds of new people. If you don’t have a lot of experience with vision loss, you learn the routine. It’s a safe environment.”
Tavish gained a lot of independence, taking a cane and following the path to the water on his own. Andrea reports that he came back home with so much confidence and a real sense of mastery. As Tavish puts it, “it felt good!”
The Gillan family is looking forward to returning to camp in 2024 but in the meantime they’re back to virtual programs and can’t wait to receive their CNIBLakeJoe@Home holiday Camp-in-a-Box !
“We were new to vision loss when COVID started and didn’t have any established networks,” Andrea explains. “We just can’t believe how enriching these programs are to your life. How much you grow and change by attending and being supported. This is where we’ve met our people!”