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Kids who battled cancer are going to summer camp

Posted at 7:15 PM, Jul 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-17 19:15:03-04

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Fifteen-year-old Isabella Dennis wipes away the tears. A year ago she was battling Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Her mother, Laura Javitt, says there were difficult days.

"We always said we knew she was having a good day when she was at the dinner table with us because it was just weeks and months of her eating in her bed, very exhausted and nauseous a lot," said Javitt.

Eight-year-old Carlos Hernandez also battled cancer when he was four years old.

"I felt like kind of scared."

On Wednesday Carlos, Isabella and other kids who battled cancer leave for summer camp. There are about 25 children. They will enjoy activities they couldn't do while undergoing cancer treatment. Carlos is ready.

"I'm going to go fishing, horseback riding, archery and going to the pool." Isabella is also looking forward to the trip. "It's great. It's kind of like making up for the time that was lost I guess."

The Pediatric Oncology Support Team, known as "POST" helped make the trip a reality thanks to community donations. The team's leader, Dr. Barbara Abernathy understands what the kids are going through. She's been battling cancer since the 1990s.

"These kids need time away from hospitals, they need time away from needles, time away from chemotherapy. and they can't do normal things that kids can do because of their immune system."

Yulissa Hernandez says the summer camp will be good for her brother Carlos.

"He makes good memories and meets new people and it's something that's going to stick with him for his whole life."

The kids will be at the camp in Central Florida for one week.