From Chemo to Camp

Luke began treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Phoenix Children’s in August 2024, when he was 9 years old. The following year, he was offered the opportunity to attend Camp Rainbow, a weeklong summer camp for Phoenix Children’s patients with cancer or a blood disorder. He wasn’t completely sold on the idea at first.  

“I had never really been to a summer camp before, and I kind of got nervous because I had never really been away from my mom as long as that,” he says. He also feared being bullied because he had lost his hair during chemotherapy.  

But when Luke learned that some of his Phoenix Children’s care team—including his oncologist and one of his favorite nurses—would be there, he decided to give it a shot. 

At Camp Rainbow, Luke became part of a community of kids who had been in his shoes before—kids who knew what it was like to go through chemo and lose their hair. Their shared experiences helped them relate to each other and form lasting friendships. At the same time, they enjoyed what for many kids is a cherished childhood tradition: summer camp.    

“He had the absolute best time while he was there,” says his mom, Conner. “We picked him up and he told us about all of these new friends that he made. He told us about all of these different things that he did. He went swimming and he went fishing, and he caught a fish.” 

Camp Rainbow also provided peace of mind for Luke’s parents. “Everything that you see in the Phoenix Children’s setting is at Camp Rainbow as well,” Conner says. “I know that he’s going to get the right dosage of his chemotherapy. If anything happens to him, his doctors are there. They know what to do.”   

For Luke’s parents, one of the best things about Camp Rainbow is that there’s no cost for Luke to attend. “It didn’t cost us anything out of pocket, which is amazing because we would not be able to afford to send him there otherwise,” Conner says.  

Luke was back for his second summer at Camp Rainbow in 2026, and he plans to return in 2027 and beyond.