Hands to Love Hand Camp – April 12-14, 2024

Pink and blue gradient background with white text that says "Hands to Love * Hand Camp *Starke, Florida *April 12-14" above and below a photo of an American flag and the orange and blue Hands to Love flag and "ontheotherhandtherapy"


One of the most basic human needs is to belong. For my entire life up until rather recently, I struggled to feel that I belonged – anywhere. I’m pretty sure that my struggle started with being born with a hand difference at a time when many people still viewed physical differences as shameful, hideous, or even grotesque. 

At Hands to Love Hand Camp 2024, I had the incredible experience yet again of spending 60 straight hours at Hand Camp with amazing people who have hand and arm differences – some whom I met last year and some for the first time. These weekends have been the only opportunities in my life to meet a huge number of people without even once being asked “What happened to your hand?” 

Pink and blue gradient background with white text that says "reconnecting 
from Hand Camp 2023" and 6 photos of Laura with various people, some holding their hands up and a pink circle with white text that says "H2L" and ontheotherhandtherapy"
Pink and blue gradient background with white text that says "meeting new friends" and 5 photos of Laura with various people, some holding their hands up and a pink circle with white text that says "H2L" and ontheotherhandtherapy"

But it goes way deeper than that – the joy, beauty, and freedom of being in community with people who intuitively understand this part of me is so healing and vast. There’s a way that I get to be fully me and whole – and celebrate my difference rather than compensate for it.

And what’s even better is that I get to wear two hats at these events – personally as an adult with an upper limb difference and professionally as an occupational therapist who works with children. Sharing both my experiences and knowledge with families raising children with a hand or arm difference fulfills my need to contribute and make life a little easier for others than it was for me.

Pink and blue gradient background with white text that says "demonstrating adaptive equipment!" and two photos of various adaptive equipment including EazyHold universal straps and mimiTENS mittens" and a pink circle with white text that says "H2L" and ontheotherhandtherapy"

So I was ecstatic to share not only adaptive products as we usually do, but also this year adaptive computer technology options. Many children with upper limb differences are never shown adaptive technology options when they begin using a computer, potentially increasing their risk for future overuse syndrome. I hope that raising awareness about overuse syndrome will enable these children to enjoy many years of good health into their adult years!

Many thanks to all of the volunteers and specialists who made Hand Camp 2024 such a success! Special thanks to Ruthie and Dr. Paul Dell, H2L director Courtney Wampler, Dawn Dukes, Dr. Pam Hess, Tamara Harrell, Jerelyne Idica, and Jocelyn Hunt. To see more photos from the weekend, look here. Learn more about Hands to Love or find H2L on Instagram.

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© 2024. Laura Faye Clubok, MS, OTR/L, On The Other Hand Therapy

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