Editor’s Note: Each year, Camp Mend A Heart brings together youngsters ages 7-17 with heart conditions from all over the region for a weeklong experience that builds bonds of friendship and provides support groups with other children who share similar experiences. There has long been a tradition of Moapa Valley residents volunteering at the camp. This year’s camp was held June 21-25 at Torino Ranch in the mountains southwest of Las Vegas. The following is an account of this year’s experience from one local volunteer.
By NATALIE JACOBSMEYER
In 2005, Jay and Lyn Acebo had a dream to set up a camp for kids with heart problems. The dream hit close to home. Their daughter Jaci had a congenital heart defect which required a heart transplant. They wanted a safe and medically supervised camp where their daughter, and many like her, could enjoy time away from the cares of hospitals, doctor appointments and being sick.
Camp Mend-A Heart was born from that dream. The first year had 24 campers, 6 counselors and a staff of adults, nurses and firefighters to care for the children.
Year 1-9 of camp Mend-A-Heart was held at the Rapport Leadership Retreat in Alamo, NV. The kids became a “heart family” year after year gathering together to enjoy a camp experience and reunite with friends. The number of children grew, the number of volunteers grew. Soon the camp had outgrown the Alamo facility. In year 10 the camp was moved to Torino Ranch.
The Moapa Valley has had a strong traditional connection to this camp. Overton residents Scott and Carrie Beckstrand were original members of the Children’s Heart Foundation board, with the Acebos. The Beckstrands’ daughter, Michaela was born with a congenital heart defect and passed away in 2001 at the age of 5. This set the Beckstrands on a path to help other kids to have a higher quality of life in spite of the obstacles that the heart kids have.
The Beckstrands continue to donate their time and talent to helping all of the heart heroes. All of their children have helped out in many capacities at camp as volunteers and counselors. Carrie Beckstrand served as the Camp Director in 2014-15 at Torino Ranch.
In year 4 of camp: enter the Jacobsmeyer family. Jenni, the youngest of the Jacobsmeyer family was born with a congenital heart defect that has required multiple open heart surgeries. The first year Jenni attended the camp, her older brother Anthony also went as a counselor.
The next year the Moapa Valley High School NHS group under the direction of Donna Forrester came up on the final day of camp and helped run a carnival for the kids. That is a tradition that continued for 4 years.
All of the Jacobsmeyer children also have worked the camp as counselors, with little sister being the camper and then the counselor also in year 11. Natalie Jacobsmeyer joined the staff of Camp Mend-A-Heart in year 7 and quickly became the camp Momma and a staple in the craft shack for all the activities there. She is known to all campers as “Momma J” a title she loves!
The past 9 years have seen many Moapa Valley volunteers come to work with the camp with the kids. Serving in all capacities: Lifeguards, Kitchen help, counselors, safety, activites, utilities and many other needs Moapa Valley has been a steady presence at Camp Mend-A-Heart from the beginning.
We have just completed year 13 of Camp Mend-A-Heart and had 13 Moapa Valley youth and adults helping run the camp of 66 campers, 24 counselors and 36 other volunteers.
We have had 4 MV youth attend the camp as campers since the beginning. These have included Jenni Jacobsmeyer, Victoria Pray. Braden St. John and currently with Felicity Graft.
The camp is well organized and well supervised. In the 13 years of its running there have been no major injuries. Many lives changed, and much growth in the heart kids served.
Each year in February Team Moapa Valley participates in Walk With the Heart of A Child. We would encourage all to participate and donate to help keep this camp, and the Acebo’s dream, alive. For more information about how you can help this wonderful cause contact The Children’s Heart Foundation of Nevada.
1 thought on “MV Sends Volunteers To Another ‘Heart Camp’”
thanks for the great story …. There is one thing that was true every summer and that is that when the Moapa Valley youth showed up to Help they would truly “light up the camp” Thanks to “Momma J” and all her kids.