Hartley’s Road to Victory

In June of 2004, we opened our gates to begin a mission to empower children with chronic illnesses. By providing campers with typical childhood experiences, we strive to uplift and inspire our campers to focus their countless abilities, despite their medical diagnoses. However, Lucy and Charles Plyer were skeptical about sending their daughter, Hartley, to Victory Junction.

“It’s an understatement to say that we are overprotective parents,” says Lucy, Hartley’s mother. “We didn’t feel we could send Hartley to camps or on trips because no one would take care of her like we do. Technically, she shouldn’t be alive.”

In 2007, doctors discovered that Hartley had basal cell carcinoma. When Hartley’s skin is damaged by the sun, her body produces basal cell cancers and tumors develop in her jaw. Since her diagnoses, Hartley has had 5 jaw surgeries, as well as surgeries to remove 8 tumors and 9 of her permanent teeth. Due to her condition, Hartley had been unable to attend camps, so when her parents heard about Victory Junction, they had some reservations.

After sending Hartley to Victory Junction, Charles and Lucy noticed significant changes in her attitude. She became more confident in her abilities and felt more independent.

In December of 2014, Hartley was presented with another obstacle. But, because of her experience at Victory Junction, Hartley knew that there was no complication that could stop her.

“When we told her that she needed to have another jaw surgery, she cried and we cried,” Lucy said. “But, she told us, ‘I can do this’.”

There is not a secret formula nor a special ingredient that we give our campers to make them stronger, more resilient or more confident. Our campers are already powerful individuals when they enter our gates. At Victory Junction, we show our campers that by overlooking their obstacles and limitations, they can see their power, their strength and their potential. By highlighting what they can do, what they can’t do becomes less important.