UNION, Conn. (WTNH) – The activities at one special summer camp in Union are undoubtedly fun, and also hold important lessons to teach the kids who participate.

“We’re going on a swing kind of thing,” said teenage camp-goer Erina. “It’s really fun, I went on it last year.”

To kids who have been through so much, these lessons teach them to control their life with confidence. This is the overall goal of the Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp.

“It’s like a second home,” said Erina.

The burn camp was designed for kids aged eight to 18 who have survived life-altering burn injuries.

“The thing I love about burn camp is the supportive people, the fun activities, it’s just a great area, I love it,” said 11-year-old Limar. Limar is learning archery at the camp, alongside volunteer counselor Christopher Brigham, a New Haven firefighter.

“The time we put in here, the joy we get to see in the kids, their chance to let loose, be a kid, disconnect from the rest of the world, it really gives us a sense of pride,” says Brigham.

“All of our staff are volunteer firefighters or in emergency service that literally can lend their experience to the children who, in turn, turn around and lend their experiences to us,” said Dominic Mantuano, the new executive director of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation.

He is an opera and Broadway singer, and also a 911 responder. He explained that the camp is 100% free for participants.

“Door to door it is free because the foundation through the year raises money so that these kids can come to camp to just be a kid,” said Mantuano.“Sometimes they might be reluctant but when they join in, you see them smiling and are happy to do it – they’re able to accomplish and challenge themselves,” said camp director, Tom Smith.

“You get to express yourself, have fun, and honestly just be yourself. Everyone around here is so kind, no one bullies you, it’s just an awesome place to be,” said Erina.

Whether the kids are creating art or taking on a waterslide, this safe haven is all about building camaraderie. Campers come back year after year, taking home memories of new friends, new skills, and tons of smiles.

There are plans for this incredible camp to grow and reach even more kids around the world.

by Ann Nyberg | May 26, 2022

UNION, Conn. (WTNH) — In Union, Connecticut, there is a camp for children who have survived life-altering burn injuries.

Dominic Mantuano, executive director of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation, said it all began when Arthur C. Luf and Dr. Panettieri set out in 1978 to establish the state’s one and only burn center at Bridgeport Hospital.

In 1991, Luf realized there was a need for a place for children ages 8-18 who suffered burns, where they could go and just be a kid. So he started the Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp. Children from all over the world come to it.

“No child is denied and from door to door, there is no money involved,” Mantuano said. “We pay for every child no matter what…door to door, it’s free.”

It is a one week camp every year.

“All types of kids… at first they don’t understand, they don’t know if they want to go, but as soon as they find out that it’s a fraternity of brothers and sisters coming together to just be kids, to go fishing, ropes course, eating, dancing,” Mantuano said. “They soon learn that they’re all about each other, supporting each other, but then most importantly, after the week is over, they go back to their communities and they lead us.”

The camp can hold up to 169 children, but Mantuano said in the next few years he would like to see a little bit more and run three weeks of camp.

“We can do whatever we need to do for whatever amount of children we have. We’ll make it work,” Mantuano said.

They have an upcoming fundraiser on Saturday, a bike ride at the Essex Firehouse that is going to be three stages. It is all about raising money for the camp so kids can continue to enjoy it.

To find out more about the fundraiser, click here. If you are interested in donating, click here.

A more personal note to illustrate what a blessing AngelRide is to the families of the campers.

Moms want to move heaven and earth to make things better for their children, right? By “moms” I mean the ‘village’ it takes to heal a child.

A little background. Our daughter was injured at 7 years old with 3rd and 4th degree burns over 11% of her body leading to 5 surgeries in the first 6 weeks (plus 2 more years down the road), months of PT, pressure garments, tutors, and missed soccer games.

Our ‘village’ included a child therapist with trauma experience, a PT with burn care experience, and a very empathetic school staff. Our family and community were indispensable. The doctors and nurses at the hospitals and outpatient clinics were remarkable. We did everything possible to enlist the help of the most qualified to aid in her emotional and physical recovery…and we found such amazing people!

However, the experience that had the most significant impact on her recovery and life is The Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp. Kelsey had not known another child who had burn scars until she went to Burn Camp. She met counselors who were burn survivors, firefighters, nurses, and caring adults. They created this loving you-can-do-it, let’s-just-have-fun experience where she was not defined or limited by her scars, she was not different, she did not have to speak about her accident or how she felt…unless she wanted to. They simply provided a Camp where kids who had been through the same type of trauma could just be kids together. She gained emotional strength from that village because they knew firsthand what she was dealing with. Here we were ready to do anything, hire anyone to help her recover and this Camp was just what she needed.

Kelsey was a camper for 11 years. She is now 26 and returns to Camp every summer to be that loving, you-can-do-it, let’s-just-have-fun counselor for the younger campers. In a testimonial she wrote as a teenager, Kelsey shared: “As a kid, Burn Camp was the only place I was free from uncomfortable questions, staring strangers, and crushing insecurities. It is a safe environment necessary for many young burn survivors’ recovery and without a doubt helped me to become the strong, confident woman that I am today.”

We are grateful to the ‘moms’ who helped our daughter. The village of family and friends, emergency and medical professionals of all kinds, counselors, and campers too.

Over the past few years, Burn Camp families like mine have added another compassionate community to their village – AngelRide. Quietly devoting hours to training, volunteering, fundraising, and donating, AngelRiders are truly Camp ‘moms’. You make an immense difference in the lives of young burn survivors. You really do.

A heartfelt thank you,

Lynn Pandiani
AngelRide volunteer
Burn Camp mom

By Kelsey Pandiani

All week long, campers excitedly practice their scenes for the Camp play. Campers no only work on their lines, but also create their costumes and practice acting during their time at Theater. At the end of the week, they get up on stage with their friends and show off all their hard work! Theater has been an amazing addition to our Camp activities. It teaches our campers confidence, creativity, and teamwork and is popular with all ages. While it is fun to dress up for Theater, it is even better to watch as our campers become comfortable in their own skin by playing and performing together on stage. Our goal is that they take this lesson and bring it with them to life outside of Camp.

Tamarah and I are pictured here before the play (The Lion King) as we prepared to help our group of campers with their scenes. Tamarah and I met at Burn Camp when we were 13 years old. We became fast friends (literally overnight). During the week we did all of our activities together as if we had know each other for years. I can remember dressing up and getting on stage to act out goofy skits with her at my side. I love that we can now work together as counselors to help our campers have that same empowering Camp experience! 

My AngelRide story began in 2014 when I came to the finish line at the Mystic YMCA to meet my friends Richard and Jennie Sullivan who were riding in their first AngelRide that year. I rode my bike to Mystic and as I got to the YMCA driveway, there was a whole group of people cheering for me. I was embarrassed since I had only ridden 10 miles to get there. Surely, I was not worthy of all this attention. I quickly admitted that I was just a spectator and I didn’t warrant the applause. They said, “That’s OK. We will still cheer for you”.

By the time Rich and Jenny came across the finish line to applause and their names being announced over the loudspeaker, I remember thinking “I want to be part of this”.

I signed up for the 2015 AngelRide even though I was not at all sure that I could ride 135 miles. When Memorial Day weekend arrived, I drove to the Mystic YMCA to meet the bus that would take riders up to the starting point in Norfolk. I remember sitting on that school bus during the >1 hour ride thinking, “How am I going to ride all the way back home?”

The next day we got to the starting point in Norfolk and everywhere you turned there was someone helping and supporting us get ready to ride. Little did I know that the same level of support and encouragement would be there throughout the entire event. At every rest stop, there were people cheering us on, ringing cowbells, feeding us, and offering whatever help we might need. Being
surrounded by such selfless and supportive people was truly inspirational and is an integral part of the AngelRide experience.

The format of AngelRide has changed over the years that I have participated but the one thing that has not changed is that AngelRide continues to be filled with some of the most giving and selfless people I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. As another rider once told me, “I look forward to AngelRide every year. It re-charges my batteries”. Being able to participate in AngelRide each year, renews my faith in the “goodness” of people.

While the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation could not hold the 2020 summer camp, they have stayed connected to the campers and are planning for 2021! With AngelRide’s support, the 2020 “seniors” will be invited to return to Camp in 2021 to take part in their celebratory last-year-of-camp traditions! Yippee!

Time to spotlight another of our amazing team leaders! Sheila is a high school special education teacher and Unified Sports coordinator who is rising to the challenge of teaching her students online now that

“As a special education teacher, it can be especially challenging for students with disabilities who rely on that human interaction to make progress. I find myself not only teaching but also reaching out and connecting for the purpose of making sure my students are okay, letting them know we are all learning together…The parents need as much – if not more – support in the distance learning situation. I reach out daily and let them know how to contact me, in multiple ways…

…This transition has been exhausting from hours of learning technology, and we have all worked night, and weekends, meeting and learning- how to create a Google classroom and make pre-recorded videos and live instruction, for example. But it has also been wonderful because the teachers and administrators have pulled together in an amazing way. I am lucky to have such supportive colleagues. We have ‘breakfast’ meetings everyday with students, we see other’s kids, and pets (!) on screen and we’re virtually visiting each other’s homes. In a strange way, it’s brought me closer to my colleagues. The support is wonderful. But I miss being around them! I miss seeing my students and colleagues everyday and being in our school environment. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing them everyday on screen.”

Thank you, Sheila, for all you do to take care of your students & their parents as we all adapt to a different reality!

If you are involved in any aspect of the response to #COVID19 or if you know someone who is, please let us know! Email info@angelride.org. We would love to share more stories. 

Let’s talk about scars, shall we? We all have them. We all know what they are. They are the spots on our body or our soul or our emotions that heal over from an injury. But those spots are not quite the same as before. Sometimes we try to hide them. Both the physical ones and the emotional ones. Sometimes we get bullied because of them. Sometimes we try to cover them up and pretend they never happened at all.

Then somewhere along the way, we learn to embrace them. To realize they are part of us. To let them remind us of the growth and change that has taken place within us because of that injury, that has yes, healed over, but not left us unchanged. We stop allowing them to define us. We accept them, and we accept ourselves.

See this beautiful young woman? This is Tammy.  Tammy is gorgeous, smart and funny. Today [June 1 AngelRide 2019] before riding, Tammy told us how she was burned in a gas stove explosion in which she lost her father. She was burned over 67% of her body. Her brother was burned over 50% of his body. She recovered. But she wasn’t the same. She attended this camp, and could wear a bikini in the lake, and be just like the other kids. There were no stares. There were no questions. There was only acceptance. Today she rode with us. Her first Angel Ride. Up until today, the most she had ridden was 25 miles. Her scars, like the rest of us, will never leave her. But they do not define her. Today, I thank her for giving me perspective.

Maybe my own scars are just a little more accepted and a little less hidden and covered up because of Tammy. “”

We would love to shine a spotlight on another of AngelRide’s team leaders, who has also been involved with the

“As a medical technologist in a public hospital laboratory for many years, I helped maintain the computer database that makes the connection between specimen collection to lab testing and results – ultimately delivering those results electronically to doctors and their patients in an accurate and timely fashion. With the very sudden appearance of COVID-19 and a large increase in the volume of testing, I felt it was important to step back in and help! I have been working with the lab at my hospital to create a method in our database to process and post results to providers. It’s a process that is changing daily, as new testing facilities are needed and new tests are developed. I’m proud to be contributing in even a small way to help get us through this!”

Thank you, Carole, for all that you do and for sharing your story! Please #StaySafe as you continue your important work.