Jessica Albertson has been a fighter ever since she was born prematurely, weighing 1 pound,1 ounce 15 years ago.
She had heart surgery when she was 2 months old in intensive care. Her mother died of heart disease when Jessica was 3. Her beloved grandma and grandpa who helped raise her died before she was 11.
And now she is recovering from surgery for a severe scoliosis condition that has plagued her. She has endured more adversity in her short life than any youngster should have to.
But with the help of her loving aunt, Stephany Albertson, who raised her and who she calls “momma”; Camp Fire Angeles, which she calls her second family; and the Press-Telegram’s Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program, Jessica has overcome all of these hardships and is a bright, articulate freshman at McBride High School on the east side of Long Beach.
And this month, Jessica was selected by Camp Fire USA as one of three youths recognized nationwide as “Absolutely Incredible Kids.” Nominations for this award were received from all over the United States. Camp Fire partnered with the movie “SHAZAM!” and Jessica was recognized at a convention in Kansas City and a VIP lunch in Los Angeles, where she met the cast from the superhero movie.
“They could not have selected a more deserving youngster than Jessica,” said Shirlee Jackert, executive director of Camp Fire Angeles. “Her story is one of courage, determination, resilience and joy.”
Jessica also got a helping hand from Press-Telegram readers whose donations to the newspaper’s Send-a-Kid-to-Camp Fund enabled her to go to Camp Fire’s Camp Wintaka in the San Bernardino Mountains.
“Jessica never would have had the many wonderful experiences she got from Camp Fire without the scholarships and generous donations from the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program,” her aunt told me. She said thank you to all who have donated and those who will contribute as the Press-Telegram launches the 20th anniversary of its Kid-to-Camp campaign this week.
Jessica told me that she feels “very fortunate and lucky” to have survived her premature birth and early childhood.
“It’s just a miracle,” she said. “My family has always been there for me.”
Jessica was born on Jan. 5, 2004, at Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower and spent the first three months of her life in an incubator. Her mother, Tiffany, died of heart disease when Jessica was 3.
“My sister, Tiff, would ask me to take care of Jessica if anything happened to her. Of course, I said I would,” Stephany told me.
With the help of her parents, Stephany, who was divorced, became Jessica’s “Momma.”
Jessica first discovered Camp Fire when she was 7 and attended some summer programs at Camp Fire’s location in Long Beach, at Los Coyotes Diagonal and Carson Street, which was within walking distance of her home. She attended Prisk Elementary and Stanford Middle schools before going to McBride. She’s played the drums since she was 4 and was in the band and jazz program at Stanford.
Despite some nervousness and separation anxiety, Jessica later bravely went on her first away-from-home-by-herself visit to Camp Wintaka in the mountains.
“And my how she loved it,” Stephany said. “She came back so proud of herself and talking non-stop about how wonderful everyone and everything was. And the camp songs! She could sing each and every one by heart over and over again. Which she did all summer!”
Financially, Stephany said, she and Jessica are getting by, but it’s a struggle.
As a single parent, she had been getting help from her father, John Albertson, who owned and operated Soccer City Sports and Embroidery Co. in east Long Beach since 1984. She worked with her father. But, she said, their business struggled and, when he died in 2015, her financial problems worsened.
Stephany’s father was Jessica’s beloved grandfather, “Poppy.”
“Her grandfather was her father-figure, her security, her everything,” Stephany said. “Despite this major blow, she handled it with grace and heart. The speech she gave at his funeral, in front of more than 400 people, was touching, funny, sad, happy and meaningful. She told it with spirit and love. I know that Camp Fire gave her the confidence to do this.”
Jessica said Camp Fire has given so much to her that she wants to give back to the organization. She already is helping other younger children, just like she was helped.
“Camp Fire is like a second family to me,” she said. “They have helped me in so many ways. Everyone is willing to help each other in difficult times.”
Jessica is in a Camp Fire leadership program now and is working on earning the Wohelo Award, the highest achievement for youth in Camp Fire. Wohelo stands for Work, Health and Love — values that have been central to Camp Fire since it was founded in 1910.
“Camp Fire has been there every step of the way for Jessica and will be for the rest of her life,” Stephany said. “That stability and security is and was needed in her life and made her the incredible kid she is today. And she intends to give back, both her time and, when we get on our feet again and/or she is that doctor she so wants to be, donating to the Kid-to-Camp program so other kids can get the same opportunity she got.”
How you can help send kids like Jessica to camp
If you want to send kids like Jessica to a summer camp in the mountains, here’s how to do it. Keep in mind that it takes about $410 on the average to send one youngster to one week at camps operated by the Big 5 youth agencies: Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, YMCA, Camp Fire Angeles, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Donations may be submitted online at the Long Beach Community Foundation website: longbeachcf.org.
Click the “donate” button and look for the campaign logo. You also may mail your check, payable to Long Beach Community Foundation, to P.O. Box 32622, Long Beach, CA 90832.
Thank you in advance for making a difference in the lives of local youngsters.