How Hendrick Hospice Care’s Camp Courage helped one teen’s grief journey

At age 7, Mason Coe dealt with confusing emotions when his older sister died in an accident.

At times, his sadness over the loss of his sister, Maddie, manifested as anger. He wanted to assign blame in a blameless situation.

Mason didn’t know it, but he was experiencing normal aspects of grief.

“Í don’t think I knew even what grief was at the time,” said Mason, now a sophomore at Anson High School.

At Camp Courage, a children’s bereavement summer program by Hendrick Hospice Care, Mason learned about grief. More importantly, he discovered healthy ways to process it.

Launched in 2000, Camp Courage is a weeklong day camp for children entering third through 12th grade who have experienced the death of a loved one. Through an atmosphere of unconditional love, compassion and support, campers enjoy a variety of evidence-based therapeutic activities.

Being around other kids also dealing with grief can be normalizing. Mason forged friendships and developed skills for sharing his story and honoring his sister. Healing came through games, outdoor play and restorative, fun activities.

Mason said he found comfort in the camp’s motto: “I didn’t cause it. I can’t change it. I can deal with it. I can overcome it!”

For six more years, Mason’s annual summer rituals included Camp Courage.

“Continuing to come to this camp and learning and speaking to others really helped me understand what I didn’t understand,” said Mason.

In 2025, the camper became a camp junior volunteer. In a role reversal, Mason mentored youngsters who were about his age when he first discovered Camp Courage.

“The camp helped me so much,” said Mason. “I just wanted to give back to the campers so that they can also experience that.”

Arts and crafts, outdoor water and carnival games, yoga and other activities filled the day camp schedule. A memorial project helped campers honor their loved ones who have died.

Hearing the campers’ stories and watching them connect with each other made this year’s camp enjoyable in new ways for Mason.

Because of Camp Courage, Mason is at ease talking about Maddie. Playing the tuba, which she played, is one of many ways he continues to carry her memory forward in his life.

“Camp Courage is an amazing camp,” said Mason. “It has helped a lot of kids, me included, in dealing with their grief.”