Camp Jabberwocky

Camp Jabberwocky, as it is widely known, embraces the boy and his father and they become part of a passionate and zany extended family that will forever change how they see the world.

Camp Family

Mike

Having a younger sister with a disability made Mike curious about a summer camp he had heard about from a friend, so he decided to check the place out. He boarded a ferry in Woods Hole on the southern shore of Cape Cod and, a couple of hours later, “fell in love with Camp Jabberwocky.” That was 13 summers ago and, during each of those years, this deeply spiritual man has poured himself into the community. Mike loves hanging out with campers who communicate non-verbally. “It’s not just one person sharing and another playing therapist—it’s family,” he says. Mike found Jabberwocky to be a place where people can “totally be themselves.” Drawing from an inner wellspring of love, joy and freedom, Mike writes and directs original musicals every year that feature elaborate sets and costumes. The Broadway-quality productions give the Jabberwocky campers and counselors the opportunity to joyously show off acting and dancing skills. The unbridled exuberance that radiates from those performers, many with serious disabilities, invariably leads to what the Vineyard Gazette has referred to as “ecstasies of applause” from the community that flocks to Camp’s theater every summer.

Scott

This handsome and soulful young man has been a fixture at Jabberwocky since his childhood. I’m not sure if it is possible for a human being to be universally loved, but, if it is, that person is my dear friend “Scottie.” Although he lives in Indiana and has difficulty speaking, he was improbably the first person to contact me and console me after Graham died. If Scott were a meal, the main course would be pure kindness—with a side of mischief. Despite painful spinal problems over the years requiring extensive surgeries, it has proven to be impossible to diminish his hopeful spirit and profound love for his family and army of friends and fans. And he is taking college classes now. Scott’s love for all things Jabberwocky cannot be quantified. When I think about what Jabberwocky is all about, an image of Scott smiling ear-to-ear as he dances in his wheelchair at a disco party is the first thing that crosses my mind.

Bella

Like other ten-year-old girls, Bella loves animals and art projects. Unlike other ten-year-old girls, Bella knows a great deal about caring for people with disabilities. Hmm... How did that happen? Bella is an innately kind and curious soul. But perhaps it also has to do with how she has been raised and all that she has observed during sunny summers on the storybook island of Martha’s Vineyard. Since infancy, at the place called Camp Jabberwocky, she has watched older kids and her parents assisting people with a vast range of disabilities with compassion, patience and—not least of all—an abundance of laughter. She has seen that there is no reason to fear people who are “different.” She has seen how much silliness people with different abilities and disabilities can create when they come together in a community of mutual support and love. Throughout her decade of life, Bella has witnessed people whose minds are open and hearts are full.

Patty

An amazing person arrived at Camp for the first time the summer after my son passed away. Patricia Keleher was 45 years old and lived in a group home in New Hampshire. Cerebral Palsy had confined her to a wheelchair and made it difficult for her to speak. In a self-published autobiography, she painstakingly wrote about the joys and challenges she had experienced. Patty’s zest for life was evident the instant we saw her being wheeled down the gangway from the ferry. There were very few moments during the next month when there was not an infectious smile beaming on her face as she experienced the zany culture of Camp Jabberwocky for the first time. Every time I looked at Patty, I was awestruck. Her lean body had been twisted by Cerebral Palsy, but an aura of pure joy radiated from her face. She literally seemed unable to stop smiling. When Graham passed away, I had wondered if I should return to Camp. Would it be too painful without him? The moment I saw Patty coming off the big boat, I knew that returning to Jabberwocky had been the right choice.