Maggie

How One Camper Became a Counselor and a Leader in Creating Hope

In 1994, Maggie Rogers was just four and a half years old when she was diagnosed with Stage III Wilm’s Tumor. “I showed up to camp completely bald and with my older sister in tow. I absolutely loved camp – it was a single week of the year where my sister and I could be normal kids again. We did camp activities from dance to arts and crafts to sports to a Camp Dream Street favorite – tie dye. Camp Dream Street was a highly coveted week of every summer.”

Maggie’s experience at camp with her sister as a child inspired them both to become counselors to give the same care, love and hope to other children, knowing first hand how impactful camp can be.

After a decade as a counselor, Maggie joined Camp Dream Street as staff and now serves as the Lower Division Head. Her life and career have centered around helping others…“I don’t remember much about life before cancer (or before Camp Dream Street), but I think it’s quite obvious that my patient experience has significantly impacted my career trajectory. Professionally, I’m the Director of Research at the Center to Advance Palliative Care in New York City and have a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology. The work that I do now is entirely focused on improving the quality of life for people living with serious illness.”

Help Support the Cause

Maggie