about
The Camp Taylor campus was built by a heart family for heart families. The dream of owning the land and building a forever camp home was the mission of our founder in honor of her son Taylor (who lives today with half of a heart) and all children fighting heart disease. It was Taylor's dream to build a permanent camp home to house programs dedicated to kids like himself suffering from the #1 birth defect. The land was purchased, and the campus was constructed to provide a safe haven for these children, guaranteeing that they will always know that they are not alone in their heart health challenges. Camp Taylor is 21 years strong in offering programs for over two decades for this important population. We are forever grateful to our supporters for believing in our dream and contributing in many ways to further our mission and this vital work!
THE NEED
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the #1 birth defect in the world. Each year over 40,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease in the United States alone. As medical advances make it possible for many children with CHD to survive, it becomes critical to ensure their emotional, psychosocial, and physical needs are met in order for them to grow into confident and successful adults.
Camp Taylor’s caters to the needs of the underserved population of pediatric cardiology by creating positive experiences in their lives through educational and self-esteem building medically supervised camp programs. The programs not only target the children with heart disease but their entire family because at Camp Taylor we believe that by supporting the family as a unit, we can enrich the life of all family members that will last throughout the year and impact their everyday life.
Camp Taylor was founded in 2002 with the mission to help pediatric heart patients overcome the emotional and developmental challenges that accompany the disease through medically supervised camp programs. As youth experience summer camp staples like swimming, arts and crafts, horseback riding and archery, along with heart health education and vital emotional support, they share a sense of growth and achievement with children and families in similar circumstances. No longer feeling “different” from their peers, campers return home empowered to take charge of their health and pursue fulfilling lives. Camp Taylor creates positive, self-affirming experiences that bring joy to children and youth while deepening their understanding of heart defects and inspiring them to transcend the limitations the disease seeks to impose on them.
Camp Taylor’s approach is rooted in the philosophy that children born with congenital heart defects often miss out on a “normal” childhood. Camp Taylor gives these children the opportunity to experience recreational activities in a medically safe environment while also providing heart education classes and peer group sessions that challenge their fears and strengthen their self-esteem. Camp Taylor programs create lasting, life-changing experiences that help pediatric heart patients and their families accept and cope with their disease. Camp Taylor remains committed to substantially expanding the resources available to the region’s traditionally underserved pediatric cardiac community.
The Mission and Philosophy
