BRANDON, Fla. — Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan covers mental health stories and always looks for free resources to help you and your family.
She recently found a summer camp created for children battling cancer and their siblings. It is a place where, for a few hours, they don’t feel different, and for families living between hospital visits, that escape can mean everything.
“I was actually getting pain in my leg, my stomach, so I was running slower,” said April Munoz.
In January 2025, April Munoz started feeling sick and had no idea why.
“I don't know what could be happening, possibly not cancer because that's the last thing that I think of,” said Munoz.
But at just five years old, Munoz was diagnosed with leukemia, and the first few months of chemotherapy were brutal.
“I constantly got fevers, back pain, leg pain, everything. Headache, a nightmare,” explained Munoz.
Despite that suffering, Munoz escaped that fear and darkness with a sense of hope, thanks to the 1 Voice Foundation’s “Happy Campers” summer camp in Brandon. It was created just for pediatric cancer patients and their siblings.
“Some of our leukemia children are two. And some of our camp counselors are 16 and 17. And they're cancer survivors or siblings of a cancer patient,” said Mary Ann Massolio.
Massolio is the founder of the 1 Voice Foundation and has spent more than 30 years helping families navigate pediatric cancer as a social worker. But her connection to this work became deeply personal.
“We were at Tampa General the very first day. My dad came out of surgery with a cancer diagnosis at 10 a.m. And my 9-year-old son, Jay, was diagnosed with 4th stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 9 hours later,” said Massolio.
In an instant, her world changed. She saw first-hand how cancer doesn’t just impact one person and can consume an entire family.
“When I look in the hallway, and I see my bald child in the playroom, with the Child Life Specialist and it's with all my other patients, it's just a very surreal experience,” said Massolio.
Tragically, Mary Ann lost her son, Jay, just six months into treatment. But that unimaginable loss compelled her to return, supporting other families and helping them find joy.
At “Happy Campers” summer camp, there is plenty of joy along with friendship, laughter, and understanding.
“It's just summer camp. You know, kids should be kids. Yes, cancer is part of your life, but as their social worker, I try to really make it part of your life. Like, I'm not Bobby, I have cancer. I'm Bobby. I like the Bucs. I like the Lightning, and pizza is my favorite food. Yeah, I have leukemia, and then it's part of your life. It's not the main focus,” explained Massolio.
New this year, the camp partnered with the Girls with Confidence program, helping kids build self-worth.
“Our appearance is just what you see on the outside. What matters is what's on the inside, and that's something I also try to instill in them,” said Shayla Lucey, the program and marketing director for Girls with Confidence.
She continued, “Our goal is to build up their self-esteem, their self-confidence, to give them the tools that they need to make new friends, to feel comfortable in their body, as well as giving them a chance to just be kids and have fun.”
While Ryan was at the camp, the girls decorated picture frames. A small project with a big message.
“It really matched this day's discussion because it was about body confidence. And we hope that they go home, maybe have a picture already picked out. Or one that they want to take of themselves that makes them feel good,” said Lucey.
“How do you help them sort of deal with someone who's a bully, when they're already struggling?” asked Ryan.
“I think something that I really encourage them to recognize is that it says more about that other person than it does about them, and all that they can control is how they react,” explained Lucey.
“I really like this camp! It's fun. There's like a lot of different things you can do,” said Avery Marigny.
11-year-old Avery Marigny’s younger sister Peyton battled Leukemia for four years. Every summer, Avery and her siblings look forward to this camp.
“You can make a lot of connections, and it's also really fun to see all your siblings having fun with their friends as well,” said Marigny.
For Marigny, it’s also a reminder they aren’t fighting this alone.
“I feel like everyone has been through some way some family member having cancer, so they know how it feels. They know how it can hurt too,” explained Marigny.
Through those shared experiences, strangers become friends, fear turns into connection, and children who’ve been through so much get the chance to just feel like kids again.
“I believe it helps in their treatment too. You know, instead of being isolated and feeling like you're the only one going through this, so are your new friends too, you know,” said Massolio.
You can learn more about the 1 Voice Foundation here.
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Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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