{"id":3877,"date":"2026-06-18T21:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=3877"},"modified":"2026-06-18T21:38:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:38:51","slug":"bay-area-kids-heal-make-connections-at-burn-survivor-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=3877","title":{"rendered":"Bay Area kids heal, make connections at burn survivor camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

LUTZ, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>A week-long camp in the Bay Area is providing a safe space for young burn survivors to share their stories and build confidence together.<\/p>

Read more Hillsborough County wants to seek state review of Tampa Sports Authority stadium vote<\/a><\/p>

Camp Hopet\u00e1ke is a sleepaway summer camp filled with fun activities for burn survivors between the ages of 8 and 17. On Thursday, campers went ice skating at TGH Ice Plex.<\/p>

“The camp is completely free to all the kids,” Camp Hopet\u00e1ke director Alex Canasi, who is also a Tampa Fire Rescue firefighter-paramedic, said. “We just tell the parents, if you can get them there, we’ll take care of the rest.”<\/p>

<\/div>
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Young burn survivors build confidence and share their stories while ice skating at the TGH Ice Plex during Camp Hopet\u00e1ke, an annual summer camp sponsored in part by the TGH Burn Center, on June 18, 2026.<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

Rayana\u2019s story<\/strong><\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

Camper Rayana Byrd, 14, has been coming to this camp for about five years.<\/p>

“It makes me feel more confident every year, and I like hanging out with people that are like me,” Byrd told FOX 13.<\/p>

When Byrd was eight years old, the Bradenton girl was roller skating outside while her aunt cooked inside.<\/p>

“And the pot caught on fire because it was oil, so it got too hot,” Byrd explained. “And she threw the pot outside, but she didn’t see me. And it got on me. But I just like, stop, drop, and roll in the grass.”<\/p>

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Fourteen-year-old burn survivor Rayana Byrd ice skates with fellow campers and counselors at the TGH Ice Plex in Brandon during Camp Hopet\u00e1ke, a weeklong summer camp providing emotional healing and confidence building for young burn survivors<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

She suffered burns on roughly 30% of her body and faced a grueling three-month recovery at Tampa General Hospital.<\/p>

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“People that are going through this go through like a really hard time. So, you should always like think about oh, they’re like really strong,” Byrd shared. “And like scars should be like really beautiful to them because they went through a lot.”<\/p>

Emotional healing at camp<\/strong><\/h2>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Local firefighters and nurses run the camp and witness the emotional healing firsthand.<\/p>

“Some can have visible scarring. Some can have what we call hidden scars, where you can hide them with your clothing. And some don’t have scars,” said Ashley Rowe, a clinical nurse and burn program coordinator at the TGH Burn Center.<\/p>

Rowe told FOX 13 some kids arrive at camp hiding their scars under long clothing. But as they connect with peers who share similar experiences, they build the confidence to start wearing what they want.<\/p>

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Tampa Fire Rescue firefighter\/paramedic and Camp Hopet\u00e1ke director Alex Canasi participates in activities with campers at the TGH Ice Plex in Brandon during a free weeklong sleepaway camp designed to support young burn survivors.<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

“It’s really nice to see the progression and how they change from being very, quite frankly, embarrassed and self-conscious to opening up,” said Alex Canasi, Camp Hopet\u00e1ke director and Tampa Fire Rescue firefighter\/paramedic.<\/p>

For more information about Camp Hopet\u00e1ke, click here.<\/p>

Fireworks injuries and statistics<\/strong><\/h2>

By the numbers:<\/p>

Sharing stories helps the campers heal, and some also serve as a gentle warning ahead of the July 4 holiday.<\/p>

“Several of our kids are here from firework injuries,” Canasi said.<\/p>

Burns are typically the most common fireworks injury, representing 37% of all emergency room visits, according to 2024 data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).<\/p>

Read more Tom Dreesen, veteran stand-up comic, Dies at 86<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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