Robbie Small, one of the first campers to ever attend Camp Independence, plays Call of
Duty until 3:00 in the morning.

Camp Independence is an intensive sports treatment program which leads the campers,
kids with cerebral palsy, in the direction of achieving an important overarching goal –
becoming independent.

The camp is run through St. Louis Childrenʼs Hospital and was founded by Paul and
Carol Hatfield. It is run by a small group of employees with the help of volunteers who
are in high school and older.

Before I actually volunteered for the first time last summer, I worried that I might be in
way over my head. Being given the responsibility to help young people with cerebral
palsy sounded difficult, and as if it were an all-around stressful job.

But within the first few minutes of the first day at Camp Independence, it was clear to
me that my time there would be rewarding and only change my personality for the
better.

I will admit that for some reason, I assumed the campers would be so much different
from me. Iʼm not sure why, but I naturally assumed that they were from an entirely
different world, simply because they looked, sounded and acted in a slightly different
manner. I now recognize how off base I was.

One of the most important things I learned while working at Camp Independence is that
people with disabilities are just like everyone else.

One of the first friends I made was Robbie – a high school sophomore. He loves to play
Madden and Call of Duty on his Xbox, and follows the Cardinals closely.

When my relationship with Robbie began to sprout, I realized that I was not his helper,
trainer, leader or whatever you may call it – I was simply his friend.

In fact, all of the volunteers who came to help were nothing more than friends to the
campers, providing them with advice, assisting them when needed and joking with them as they pleased.

Just because someone is different doesnʼt mean that they are better or worse than you.
This is a lesson Iʼve been taught a number of times growing up, but I did not truly
understand the meaning of it until I really started getting to know Robbie.

If there is one thing that you can learn from my experience, it is to wipe away the instinct
that I used to have. That feeling that just because someone or something is foreign to
you that it is in some way bad.

In fact, I challenge you to embrace whatever unique opportunity is to meet someone
“different,” to step out of your comfort zone, for you just might make a good friend out of
the experience.

-Jeffrey Friedman