Meet Mac, a North Star Reach Camper

Meet MacKale or “Mac” as his camping buddies call him.  Mac is 9 years old and will be attending the 4^th grade this Fall in Cadillac, MI.  Days after Mac was born, he was diagnosed with hemophilia and since then has required an intravenous medication referred to as “Factor” to help his blood clot correctly.   This medication is infused at least three times a week – depending on his activity level.  And Mac is one active little boy.  Like many young boys, he plays tennis, baseball and soccer.  Because of hemophilia, however, he cannot participate in contact sports such as hockey and football.  And because of hemophilia, he cannot attend camp with his friends or his brothers because most day long or week long camps are not prepared to deal with his medical condition.

In June of this year, Mac traveled to Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut as part of North Star Reach’s “Camp on the Move,” an interim program created to take a limited number of children to other SeriousFun camps.  This was his first time traveling without his parents and two younger brothers.  Mac missed his family for “two seconds because there was so much to do!”  He swam, fished, played miniature golf, went horseback riding, met new friends and performed a solo of “Stars in the Sky” during stage night – a Capella.  Other than several scheduled trips to the medical center for Factor, nobody at camp would know Mac has a medical condition that impacts his life daily.  And Mac didn’t know what medical conditions affected his new friends camping alongside of him.  He was there simply to have fun just like the other kids.  And that’s exactly what he did.

MacKale can’t wait to return to camp and with North Star Reach here in Michigan, his dream of returning year after year will be a reality, along with his biggest wish – to experience the magic of family camp alongside his brothers.

You can help make Mac’s dream a reality, click here to donate to North Star Reach.  Thank you!