Band "Sister Hazel" hosts camp for families going through cancer

“Music is the universal language and we’re all going to understand that, “ Nina Marino, 18, said.

Marino is actually a musician herself.

“I’ve been classically trained in violin for ten years,”she said.

Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to play since she started her chemotherapy treatments.

“Like you can see right here, because they do lasers for the radiation there’s burning on the side of my head,” she said.

This weekend, Nina was able embark on a musical adventure with the band "Sister Hazel”.

“So we wrote a song which was really, really cute,” Marino said.

Families can sing, dance, and even make their own drums at Camp Hazelnut.

One of the parents says it helps take away the daily stress of cancer even if it’s just for a little while.

“It’s fun, it’s time we can leave all of that other stuff alone and come here and remember that we are a family,” said Greg Dary, who’s daughter has cancer.

Camp Hazelnut is a part of the Lyrics For Life Foundation, founded in memory of the lead singer’s brother.

“I lost my little brother to cancer, he was eighteen, he was diagnosed at fourteen. so I understand,” Ken Block said.

With love, campfires, and concerts on the lake, the camp aims to create an uplifting experience.

"We provided a place here that is fertile ground for these kids to be kids,” Block said.

For Marino, Camp Hazelnut gave her an opportunity…

“They’ll kind of prep you when you first get cancer ‘well you may get your wings one day,” she said.

To show the little ones that anything is possible with a little bit of positivity.

“So it kind of takes their mind off the wings and more on the life that they could live,” she said.