I am light, I am light
I am light, I am light
I am light, I am light
I am light, I am light

Our theme for Milton Marks Family Camp this year was "I am Light."  MMFC is a camp for families coping with a parent’s brain tumor. When your family is facing a brain tumor, it can be hard to see your own light - at times it may feel like your light is swallowed completely, or just perpetually muted beneath layers of uncertainty, exhaustion, anger, numbness, and fear.

I am not the things my family did
I am not the voices in my head
I am not the pieces of the brokenness inside
I am light

Our weekend of respite offered multiple interventions designed to help each family member see their own light, to see the light in each other, and to honor the light they create as a family. There were songs (like “I am Light,” which is one of our camp anthems) and support groups, counseling,  team building, improv, and therapeutic children’s activities. Families built connections  built with other patients, caregivers, and kids who “just get it.” Youth counselors team surrounded each child with unparalleled love, attention, and support. The art project for the weekend was deeply meaningful. Families created lanterns together - a way to hold and share their light with the world.

I'm not the mistakes that I have made
Or any of the things that caused me pain
I am not the pieces of the dream I left behind
I am light

Over the course of the weekend, I saw families peel back the layers of darkness around their hearts. I saw them open to one another and to themselves. At our lantern parade at the end of camp, the families circled the barn with the lanterns they made together. And in that circle, each and every camper became a lantern, the light of their souls illuminating the world we made together.

I am Divinity defined
I am the God on the inside
I am a star
A piece of it all
I am light

You can share your own light with these families by supporting our camp. I have been working on this project for eleven years now, and each year, I am blown away by the light of these families who keep on shining through it all. I am so grateful to be part of it, and I am so grateful to those of you who have supported our project over the last decade. Whether you've supported us in the past or this is your first time - thank you. We truly wouldn't be where we are now without you. 
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Milton Marks Family Camp is a free annual weekend camp retreat, providing respite and community for families coping with a parent's malignant brain tumor. At camp, caregivers don’t have to think about who’s watching their kids or their sick partners while they get a massage or engage in art therapy. Patients know that their doctors and nurses understand what everyday life is like for them living with a brain tumor, because the medical team is living on-site sharing the experience. The children are surrounded by other children just like them. There are songs, support groups, and a campfire with s’mores.

Camp was an amazing experience in 2025 and we are excited to gather again in 2026.

As Camp's Assistant Director for the last nine years, I've seen that this community a blessing for those it serves, but it's also a blessing for those who participate in building it. You can read more about my personal experience at MMFC in this HuffPost article and YOU can help us support more families this year by donating to Milton Marks Family Camp. I am trying to raise $1500 for MMFC for my birthday, December 9th. A gift in any amount make a big difference to families coping with brain tumors. Thank you for your support!