Creating Moments That Matter for Kids with Cancer at Camp Sunshine Dreams

At Valley Children’s, care goes beyond medicine. Our Cancer and Blood Disorders Center provides expert treatment for childhood cancers, from the most common to the rarest, while surrounding families with unwavering support. 

The center includes an outpatient unit with treatment rooms, infusion center and play area, plus Starship Craycroft, a 36-bed inpatient unit designed for comfort and healing. But what truly sets us apart is our team: pediatric specialists, nurse navigators, case managers, social workers, child life specialists and interpreters who walk alongside families through every challenge. 

As the only pediatric oncology provider between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, we deliver advanced therapies with a human touch because children deserve care that heals both body and spirit. 

That commitment extends beyond the hospital. Each summer, Camp Sunshine Dreams offers kids affected by cancer a rare gift: a week where they can simply be kids. Held at Camp Keola in the Sierra Nevada, the camp welcomes children ages 8 to 15 and their siblings for connection, creativity and adventure. When campers turn 17, they’re invited to return as counselors, continuing the cycle of support and giving back to the next generation. 

This year, 50 campers shared laughter, archery, boating and arts and crafts, forming bonds that last a lifetime.
 

“It’s the one week a year these kids can be with people who understand their journey,” said Yvonne Wood, Valley Children’s throughput manager and camp nurse. “Here, cancer is secondary to just being a kid.”

Former campers often return as counselors, continuing a cycle of support. For Jennifer Shoener, who lost her brother to cancer, camp became a lifeline. “In the Valley, nobody understood where I was coming from and they didn’t understand my journey,” she said. “Here, in some way or form, we all understand what cancer means to us.”

That shared understanding is what makes Camp Sunshine Dreams so powerful. As Jardina, a camper who beat cancer in 2017 and attended for the first time with her sister in 2025, put it: “Here, they treat you like a regular person. They all understand that we’re all going through the same thing.” 

At Valley Children’s, we believe healing happens in many ways: through expert care, compassionate hearts and moments that remind kids they’re more than their diagnosis.