Empathy & Guidance

Article originally published at journalreview.com. View the original article here.

Local teen joins other burn survivors at camp

Hayley Jarman | hjarman@jrpress.com

Crawfordsville teen, Scarlett Bryant, was one of 56 youth from all over Indiana to spend a week surrounded by fellow burn survivors at Hoosier Burn Camp, a summer program held at Camp Tecumseh in Battle Ground. The camp gives young people who have experienced burn injuries a space to connect, grow, and just be kids.

The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office and Riley Hospital for Children launched Hoosier Burn Camp in 1997 to support burn survivors ages 8 to 18 with physical and emotional healing. Over the years, the organization expanded to offer year-round programs for survivors from infancy through young adulthood.

The 15-year-old received her burn injury at age three during a family cookout on the Fourth of July. She reached for a hot dog on the grill and burned her wrist, which required a skin graft. This summer marks her first time attending the full camp week.

“This experience connects me with other people who have gone through what I did,” Bryant said. “It helps build my confidence. It has helped me realize that it’s okay to be different. Being burned isn’t a bad thing. It’s a learning lesson.”

Throughout the week, Bryant and her fellow campers tackled team challenges, participated in themed games, and took part in classic camp traditions. This year’s video game theme shaped many of the week’s activities. Bryant especially enjoyed a blindfold teamwork game where campers gave each other instructions to build objects, helping to build trust in others.

She also enjoyed participating in a T-shirt project where campers used hand prints to respond to prompts like “Put a hand print on someone who inspires you.”

“That was really cool,” Bryant said. “It shows who recognizes you, even if they don’t say it out loud. That felt good.”

Older campers praised Bryant’s group for their maturity and willingness to help younger children. Bryant said their encouragement left a lasting impression.

Visitors Day gave her another favorite memory. She laughed, played games and introduced her family to the new friends she had made.

“I met so many people that day,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the week.”

Bryant also enjoyed “9 Square in the Air,” a fast-paced game that combines volleyball and 4-square.

“It’s so fun but very competitive,” she said. “I love it.”

Bryant formed strong friendships at camp, even stronger than some of the ones she has made at school.

“I’m probably closer with the friends here than with the ones back home,” she said.

One of her role models, cabin counselor Kelsey, also survived a serious burn injury. Bryant says that Kelsey’s empathy and guidance made a big difference in her camp experience.

“She knows exactly what we’re going through,” Bryant said. “She went through worse. She’s so kind, and she always knows what to say when you’re feeling down.”

At Hoosier Burn Camp, every camper has a visible or invisible scar, and nobody feels like the odd one out.

“When I first got here, people didn’t act different toward me,” Bryant said. “They included me right away. They didn’t have to, they just wanted to.”

She leaves camp with more than memories. The experience changed how she sees herself and her scars.

“They looked ugly when it happened,” she said. “But they grow into something beautiful.”

For Bryant, this camp feels like a second home, one built on trust, joy, and community.

“Some people say camp is boring. I think it’s one of my favorite things,” she said. “The people, the counselors, the games, they bring everyone together. It’s just a wonderful place.”