When their daughter Brenley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the week before Halloween, William and Jessica Garay stepped into a world they knew almost nothing about. They had no family history of diabetes. They only knew something was wrong, and the stakes felt like life and death. Overnight, their routines shifted to carb counting and insulin injections before every meal, watching weight loss and dangerous blood sugar highs while trying to understand an autoimmune disease that suddenly defined much of their daily life.
In the early months, they did what most parents do and looked for people who had walked this road before and for resources that could help. The care team at Texas Children’s Hospital mentioned a name they had never heard before: Texas Lions Camp.
Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville is built around a simple idea: children living with serious medical challenges deserve the full magic of summer camp, with the safety and support their conditions require and without the barrier of cost.
Designed for Kids with Complex Needs
Texas Lions Camp hosts targeted sessions for children with specific physical disabilities, type 1 diabetes, cancer, Down syndrome, and other conditions. Each session runs from Sunday to Friday, offering a structured schedule that blends traditional camp fun with specialized medical oversight.
Pearland Lions Club Service Chair and member of the Texas Lions Camp Board of Directors Steve Knippel said that mission goes back more than seven decades. “The camp was founded just over 75 years ago specifically for children with polio, because no one else would take them,” Knippel said. “Over the years, more diagnoses were incorporated, and now a wide range of disabilities and medical conditions can be accommodated, with a well-staffed and equipped infirmary on site.”
For campers with type 1 diabetes, every part of the day reflects that dual focus. Children swim, ride horses, fish, visit a petting zoo, and spend time with bunk mates, just like any other camp. At the same time, physicians and medical staff are present on-site, and the daily routines intentionally reinforce good diabetes management. Meal planning incorporates carb-count menus in cabins and clear carb listings on cafeteria whiteboards, helping kids calculate and dose their insulin independently while still enjoying the social experience of shared meals.
The camp operates at no cost to families, relying on donations, sponsorships, and volunteer support from Lions Clubs and community partners. Knippel said. “Lions across the state and our neighbors work to raise what it takes to operate the camp.” The model allows children facing long-term medical challenges to attend without adding new financial pressure to households already managing healthcare, travel, and time off work.
Getting to Camp
The camp sounded promising, but there was a requirement: each child must be sponsored by a Lions Club member. Jessica posted a brief request on Facebook, explaining what they had learned and asking for help. Charles Randolph, a local Lions Club member in Pearland, saw the post and stepped forward to sponsor Brenley, handling the necessary paperwork so the family could focus on preparing their daughter for the trip.
Randolph, who has been a Lion for nine years and serves as treasurer for the Pearland Lions Club, describes the camp as the club’s central commitment. “Our number one area to support is to the Lions camp,” Randolph said. “Everything we do in the community, all our fundraisers allow us to be able to sponsor children who want to go.”
For Brenley to attend the camp was covered. The Garays raised money to cover travel and lodging for the four-hour drive to Kerrville, knowing this would be their daughter’s first extended time away from home since her diagnosis. The combination of a no-cost camp and local sponsorship made the experience possible in a season when medical expenses and time demands were already significant.
“The purpose of the camp is to send a child who has special needs or a medical condition to a place that specializes in those areas,” Randolph said. “It gives the parent a break, and there’s no cost to them. We sent fifteen kids this year.”
Daily life at Texas Lions Camp
When the Garays arrived on Sunday evening, they found a well-organized camp hosting more than 100 children with type 1 diabetes for the session. Physicians and medical staff were present, and counselors, many of them college students, brought energy and enthusiasm to the grounds.
Brenley’s week followed a steady, hourly itinerary. Campers woke early, cleaned their cabins, went to breakfast, then rotated through activities such as swimming, horseback riding, fishing, crafts, and time at the petting zoo. In the cabin and cafeteria, carb counts were clearly posted so campers could choose meals and calculate insulin doses using their pumps and phones with guidance from staff when needed.
“We want campers to learn what they can do, not what people tell them they can’t,” Knippel said. “The activities and routines are built to help children take responsibility for managing their own condition.”
Awards and recognition formed a key part of the camp’s culture. At the end of the session, cabins gathered for a program where children received certificates honoring traits like positivity, helpfulness, and joy. Brenley received the “Brightest Smile” award in her cabin.
What the week meant for Brenley
At the end of the week Brenley said it went by too fast and woke up the next morning ready to go back. Jessica said on the drive home from camp, her daughter talked almost without pause. “She sang new camp songs, described crafts, detailed each activity, and shared stories about her bunk mates and counselors.”
Her parents noticed changes. She had already been responsible and independent with her diabetes at home, but spending a week surrounded by peers with the same condition made it feel normal. She was one of many children checking numbers, counting carbs, and using insulin pumps. Not the only one in the room doing so.
A Different Kind of Week for Parents
Jessica noted nightly rest since Brenley’s diagnosis had been dictated by blood sugar numbers and alarms. At camp, the medical staff and systems designed specifically for children with diabetes carried that burden.
Knippel hears that concern from many families. “Parents are always anxious about letting their child go to a residential camp,” he said. “My wife and I went through the same thing. But when children come home, they’re more confident, more compliant, and better able to manage their own health.
As they walked into the dining area at camp, William found a large group of the Pearland Lady Lions there sponsoring and serving the meal. Later, at the amphitheater awards ceremony, he saw several more members of the Pearland Men’s Lions Club. He didn’t expect to connect the camp’s statewide mission so directly to their local community when they arrived. They were four hours away, yet their daughter was supported by others they knew from home.
Pearland’s Role in Supporting the Camp
The Lions Club in Pearland plays a significant role in sustaining Texas Lions Camp. Randolph noted that: “Everything we do in the community is tied to that camp,” and added that “we’ll never turn down anybody who needs a sponsor.”
Over time, Pearland Lions have donated substantial funds to the camp, logged service hours on-site, cleaned facilities like the amphitheater, and helped maintain the grounds. In the session Brenley attended, five other families from Pearland had children with diabetes at camp. One of the children has been attending since early childhood and continues to return as an older camper.
Pearland Lions also lean on legacy fundraisers to make that ongoing support possible. Randolph highlighted their annual events including the club’s casino night in April, a gun raffle in August, and the long running turkey shoot in October that help generate the funds Pearland Lions use to support the camp and other community projects.
Shaping Futures
Texas Lions Camp’s impact reaches far beyond a single session. For children like Brenley, it helps connect them to a wider community. For parents like William and Jessica, it provides rest, reassurance, and support.
“In my view, Texas Lions Camp is one of the best kept secrets in Texas,” Knippel said. “We want people aware so more families learn they don’t have to face these diagnoses alone.”
Learn more about Texas Lions Camp at: www.lionscamp.com
Learn more about The Pearland Lions Club and how to support their work at: https://www.pearlandlions.org/
