WHERE You’ll BE Staying , whose your family pal and more!
Welcome to your Wilt-Helmick Family assignment page! Here you’ll find all the details that will help you feel right at home for the weekend, including your Family Pal (your dedicated chaperone), your cabin assignment, the family you’ll be sharing your space with, and your color group.
Each of these selections was thoughtfully arranged in hopes of creating a fun, supportive, and connected experience for your family!
Your Family Pal for Sun Escape 2026 is ERIN JANIAK
Erin is a vital part of the United Porphyrias Association team and is an EPP patient herself. She is often the first voice a new family or patient hears and talks to when reaching out to the UPA for answers after their diagnosis. When it comes to volunteering for a third year in a row at camp Erin wrote “,It is so wonderful for the kids to have a chance to feel normal, and for the families to connect and see they are not alone.” She added “Without really realizing it, they now have this yearly thing to come back to and real “camp friendships” that normal kids think fondly of.”
Contacting Erin
We encourage our families to reach out to their assigned volunteer via email prior to the start of camp to introduce themselves and get familiar prior to the start of Sun Escape. Erins’s email is below. We have also shared with Erin your family’s primary email address on file should she wish to also introduce herself or get in contact with you for anything Sun Escape related (ex: checking in with you about your expected arrival time)
Your Cabin & Color Grouping Information
At Sun Escape, each family is assigned a color group to help guide the flow of the weekend. While many activities are enjoyed together, your color determines the schedule your family will follow for certain program areas. Your cabin will match your assigned color, making it easy to stay connected with your group throughout the weekend.
Your assigned color group is YELLOW
The Families in Your Yellow Group Will Be
The Lazarus Family - EPP (South Carolina)
The Bovet Family - SOLAR URTICARIA (New York)
The Delorme Family - EPP (California)
The Komon Family - EPP (New York)
The Ouimet Family - EPP (Canada)
The Hynes Family - EPP (New Jersey)
The Wilt-Helmick Family - EPP (West Virginia)
The Mitchell Family - EPP (California)
You will be staying in our Martinsville Cabin with the Mitchell Family
Lilit Mitchell and her EPP son Robert have come a long way in accepting Robert’s EPP since they made the first trip to Sun Escape from California in 2024. “Before I would shield Robert even if he was near a window or a door,” Lilit wrote. “But here I have learned to relax and not worry about his safety and comfort every minute. Being able to meet families like yours living with the same condition is significant to us. It means we are not alone. We are happy to be part of our wonderful, supportive community!”
As a reminder, each family will have their own private side of the cabin which includes a bedroom and bathroom. Both families will share a common area. Should your family wish to connect with the Mitchell Family prior to Sun Escape, you can reach out to the family via their email address below. They have your email as well. While encouraged, connecting is not required.
We cannot wait to see your family soon!
