Caitlin Dunbar (Day 14)

I chose this picture of a pillow. It may seem like a simple pillow and you probably wouldn’t understand what those initials meant. Caitlin Dunbar was a very well-known camper at Conowingo about 7 years ago, the camp that I attend and plan to work at next year. She was all smiles and was all about making camp fun for the girls that attended. She had an impact on every single person that she met, including me. About 5 years ago, Caitlin Dunbar was diagnosed with Cancer, specifically Leukemia, and was in and out of the hospitals and surgery. She continued to come to camp, this time as a CIT (Counselor-in-Training) in my specific unit, and continued to make the girl’s experience at camp an incredible one. She never told anyone about her cancer because she was afraid they would treat her as a victim. She never wanted that. In 2007, 19 year old Caitlin Dunbar died and left an ongoing legacy at camp. Her dad donated enough money to create the “Caitlin Dunbar Nature Center” at camp where every single camper that passes through the camp can visit. Inside, they see pictures of her with her friends, along with the last picture ever taken of Caitlin; her graduation photo. Kids learn about their impact on nature, which is something that Caitlin stressed when she worked at camp. She wanted kids to learn that they have an impact on people, as well as the nature around them. Her legacy at camp encouraged me to take a picture of the one thing that could show her true life.