La historia del campamento Taylor
In 1993, Kimberlie and Michael Gamino welcomed their second son, Taylor. Within hours of his birth, physicians discovered he had been born with half a heart, a complex condition known as Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome with an intact ventricular septum. Facing an uncertain prognosis, the Gaminos committed themselves to giving Taylor every joyful, formative part of childhood they could, even as he endured four open-heart surgeries and a stroke. Their family spent months at a time living in the hospital, navigating long recoveries and the relentless emotional weight that comes with fighting for a child’s life.
As Taylor grew, the medical hurdles were only part of the story. By age eight, it became clear he could not keep pace with friends in sports and high-energy activities due to fatigue and the risk of injury. At school, he felt singled out and defined by his diagnosis, leaving him sometimes feeling isolated. While Taylor continued to progress medically, his parents recognized a more invisible need: a safe place where he could belong, be understood, and build confidence alongside peers living with similar realities. When they searched for such a program in Northern and Central California where he could meet other children with heart disease and found none, they created it. In 2002, the Gaminos founded Camp Taylor to ensure heart kids and their families would never have to face this journey alone.
That was more than two decades ago, and the Gamino family remains just as committed today. Over the past 24 years, they have helped thousands of families, worked tirelessly alongside thousands of volunteers, and welcomed children from across the United States and beyond, including Australia and Mexico, through the safe haven of Camp Taylor’s gates.
When finding rental camp facilities that met the medical needs of heart kids proved cumbersome, including safe altitude considerations and proximity to emergency care, the Gaminos did not quit. They secured land and built one of the first camp facilities dedicated specifically to children and families affected by heart disease. For the Gamino family, it has never been about creating a legacy. It has always been about doing everything possible, together, to make sure heart families feel safe, supported, and seen.
La historia de Taylor
La familia Gamino
Taylor, 5 años
Recuperación de la cirugía de Fontán
Cuando Taylor tenía 17 años, expresó su sueño durante Giving Tree Time en Teen Camp: "Entiendo y acepto el hecho de que moriré prematuramente a causa de una enfermedad cardíaca, ese no es mi mayor temor. Mi mayor temor es que Camp Taylor "No podría estar aquí para la próxima generación de niños que sobrevivan. Ha cambiado nuestras vidas y nos ha ayudado a sobrellevar la situación. El campamento tiene que continuar. Mi mayor temor es que el campamento Taylor no exista en el futuro".
~Taylor James Gamino
Esta declaración brutalmente honesta hizo que la fundadora de nuestro campamento, la madre de Taylor, hiciera una pausa y estableciera un rumbo para garantizar los programas del campamento durante décadas en el futuro. La construcción de un campamento permanente se convirtió en el objetivo a largo plazo después de escuchar a Taylor compartir estas preocupaciones transparentes. Los trabajos de construcción están en marcha, actualmente estamos Construyendo el Sueño de Taylor y nada impedirá que la familia Gamino cumpla este sueño. Ni siquiera una pandemia.
