Camp Magic helped Noah, 10 process grief after dad’s death
Christmas 2018 will be a day forever etched into 10 year old Noah Schulte’s mind. It was the day his dad died by suicide.
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Christmas Day 2018 will be forever etched into 10 year old Noah Schulte’s mind.
It was the day his dad died by suicide and left his mum Samantha Holman helpless to protect him from the gut-wrenching grief.
“I remember them just crying and it was the saddest cry you could ever imagine,” Ms Holman said.
“As a mother you want to take away their pain and I couldn’t fix it.
“And then you get over that initial stage and then I’m taking an eight year old and a five year old to choose their father’s clothes he’ll be buried in and then showing them the coffin so they know what to expect at the funeral.”
Noah said he tries to think of happy times with his dad but a lot of his memories were replaced with anger and feeling sad and confused all the time.
“It was a bad Christmas,” Noah said.
“I put two holes in the wall and was really angry but I’m fixing them now anyway.
“It’s (his anger) about everything, yeah everything really.”
After exhausting all avenues for support and reaching ‘brick walls’ over eligibility for funding, Ms Holman said she stumbled across Camp Magic by ‘sheer luck’.
The weekend long program is aimed at children and teenagers between the ages of seven -17, combining fun and physical challenges with grief education and emotional support with its ultimate goal to eliminate children feeling isolated with their feelings.
Noah attended the camp in late 2019 and said he’s a ‘happy kid now’.
He said that he learnt about the ‘different seasons’ of emotions and is able to identify and process what he’s feeling a lot better now.
“It was the best time in the world and there was some cool people there especially my buddy Brad,” he said.
“We went to talk time where we just talked about what happened and stuff, like what you’ve been through and we drew pictures.
“It was easier there because they understood me but kids at school don’t.”
To enquire about services available, visit www.feelthemagic.org.au.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling to cope, there are people who care and are ready to listen. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14
Originally published as Camp Magic helped Noah, 10 process grief after dad’s death