By Brett Batterson, Executive Director
Published by Chicago Sun Times at http://atru.org/17JQIOh
On a bright, sunny June day when I was 7
years old, I received news that would change my life forever. I was playing on
the front stoop of a neighbor’s house when a big, black car pulled up in front.
Out stepped two men who proceeded to inform my mother, my two brothers and me
that my father had suffered a sudden heart attack and was dead. He was 30 years
old. So was my mother.
This is a story that can be
told by countless children on a daily basis in America. Parents die and
children are left fatherless or motherless. While this loss always leads to
confusion, hurt and sadness in the children it affects, it can also lead to much
worse symptoms like depression, aggression and feelings of unworthiness.
Luckily, I had an outlet that
allowed me to channel my grief into a positive, healing direction: my
involvement in the performing arts. The healing power of creative play gave me
the confidence to express myself, the essential support of friendship I needed
and an outlet for my sadness.
As I got older and found myself
in a position to do so, I decided I wanted to give children who had lost a
parent the same benefits I had participating in the performing arts. That’s why
I started “Hands Together, Heart to Art” nine summers ago at the AuditoriumTheatre of Roosevelt University. This one-of-a-kind, award-winning day camp has
helped more than 700 children who have experienced tragic loss heal through
participation in music, theatre and dance. In addition, the camp provides
access to healing counselors and caring, trained adults who guide the children
through their camp days.
Let me tell you the story of
one camper named Peter. Peter and his father were very close and spent a lot of
time together, going to Sox games and fishing for bream in their favorite pond
in the suburbs. But one day, Peter’s father was stopped by the police for a
routine traffic violation. Peter’s father reached into his pocket for his cell
phone and the police thought he was going for a gun. They shot him dead.
Peter came to us a broken young
man, and said to us, “I don’t know how I can go on.” We worried about Peter. We
worked with Peter. He found his place in dance class. He talked to the healing
counselors. And he heard other kids’ stories and found out he wasn’t alone.
Peter returned to camp for
three straight years and gained more confidence every year. He has become a
fine young man with plans to attend college after he graduates high school. He
asked me if I would write him a letter of recommendation for his application
when the time comes. I was happy to say yes.
We have seen dozens of Peters
at camp. It is their stories that drive us. And it is their growth as individuals
that inspire us. It has been an enormously gratifying experience for me to know
that these children are growing better thanks to our help, and that their
stories may one day turn out to be as happy as my own, despite the shared loss
we all experienced.
We have two camp sessions this
July. All children are welcome; we have never turned a child away because of an
inability to pay. This camp is for children who need it, not just for those who
can afford it.
If you know of a child between
the ages of 7 and 14 who would benefit from “Hands Together, Heart to Art,”
please call (312) 341-2353 or visit Auditoriumtheatre.org. Your call could make
all the difference in the course of a life for a young person who has
experienced this all-too-common tragic loss.
