Next up in our Look Back at Leaders series is Walker Dulaney. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and will be returning for his 7th summer to lead the Deerhorn Wolves. Thanks to his mom, Lee, for sharing her memories of Deerhorn and what it has meant to Walker.
My son, Walker’s, time at Camp Deerhorn has been incredibly supportive and truly life-affirming. The adventures he’s had and the friendships he’s made have created memories that I know will last a lifetime—even though his first summer didn’t quite go as planned.
Let me set the scene. About a week and a half into Walker’s first year at Deerhorn, I got a call on a Sunday around noon while I was in the checkout line at Whole Foods. The number had an area code I didn’t recognize, and I almost didn’t answer. I’m so glad I did. It was Walker’s camp counselor, calling to let me know they were on their way to the hospital—Walker had broken his arm playing ultimate frisbee. I could hear his voice in the background, and when they put him on the phone, he was teary and said, “Mommy, please come.” Needless to say, before I even left the store, I was already on the phone with the airlines, trying to figure out how to get there that night. Let’s just say Louisville to Rhinelander is not a quick trip!
As the day went on, I received constant updates from the amazing Deerhorn staff. Yes, his arm was broken. Clean through in two places. The on-call orthopedic surgeon got in touch. He planned to perform a procedure first thing in the morning. He hoped for a closed reduction, but warned he might need to insert screws. It would depend on what he saw once they were in the OR.
When I finally arrived in Rhinelander around 11:30 that night, a Deerhorn staff member was waiting to take me straight to the hospital. She even left me with a car to use during my stay. Meanwhile, other staff had taken turns staying with Walker until I got there. Honestly, they went above and beyond. The next morning, Walker had the closed reduction—thankfully, no open surgery. Still, it meant his first Deerhorn summer was cut short.
After the procedure, we went to a hotel and he slept most of the day. His cast ran from above his elbow down to his wrist. Thankfully, the pain meds were doing their job. The following day, we drove back to camp so he could say goodbye to his friends. The outpouring of love and support from both campers and counselors was incredibly moving. In that moment, I knew Deerhorn was something truly special.
On the long drive home to Kentucky (flying wasn’t an option with the risk of swelling in the cast), Walker made it crystal clear—he couldn’t wait to go back to Deerhorn the next summer. In just a week and a half, he’d seen enough to know it was the place for him for many summers to come. And honestly, I felt the same.
So to all the parents out there—whether this is your son’s first summer or one of many—I can say with confidence that the Deerhorn experience is profoundly impactful. Walker has grown into a kind, generous, and strong young man, shaped in no small part by his time at Deerhorn and the friendships and life lessons he’s found at that magical camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
