Michelle Henrise already held a deep love for the fire service culture and community, but her first visit to Parkland Health’s Camp I-Thonka-Chi sparked an even greater passion to contribute to the “joy and healing of burn survivors.”
Camp I-Thonka-Chi is Choctaw for “a place that makes one strong or fearless, not afraid to face life,” and it sums up the spirit of the camp perfectly. Usually held the first week in June, the annual camp offers a caring environment for young people who have experienced burn injuries.
“I already loved my job,” Michelle recalls of that first visit to Camp I-Thonka-Chi in 2017. “I didn’t want anything more from it, but [Camp I-Thonka-Chi] was just such a beautiful place. The kids, the water games…everything just called to me.”
Held each year at Camp John Marc in Meridian, Texas, camp activities typically include swimming, fishing, boating, a rope challenge course, horseback riding, sports, arts and crafts, water games and other special events — all at no cost whatsoever to campers, thanks to generous donors and volunteers.
That list of supporters includes the inspiring donations from the fire academies and EMT students of the DeSoto Fire Department. After her first visit to Camp I-Thonka-Chi, Michelle encouraged students to organize fundraisers for the camp through the academies and EMT schools.
“I wanted [EMT and fire academy students] to learn to give back before they’re paid to give back,” Michelle says of part of the inspiration for the fundraisers. “I wanted them to have the foundation of a giving heart and knowing that they can make a difference.”
Each class organizes its own fundraiser, which has historically included T-shirt sales, barbecue events, fitness competitions, car washes and more. Michelle notes how motivated students are to raise money for such an important cause.
“This fundraiser has created a little bit of friendly competition between the classes,” Michelle says. “They don’t even know each other, and they compete with each other to see who can raise more money.”
Of course, the ultimate inspiration for the fundraisers is the kids themselves. Some of Michelle’s greatest treasures today is the “thank you” paintings created by campers — including a very special one.
“The little girl who gave it to me made sure that I knew it was her fingerprint because her hands were so badly burned that she doesn’t have fingerprints anymore,” Michelle recalls. “She needed me to know that it was hers.”
To support Parkland’s burn survivorship programs, including burn camp, make a donation.