Shana Zanyk
Head Nurse
I have been a camp nurse at Camp Bon Coeur since 2005. I volunteered for 3 shifts the first year and was amazed at the atmosphere. Everyone was so energetic, caring, and fun to be around that I started volunteering every year. I have enjoyed watching the campers grow into strong, resilient, self-reliant adults. A few years later, I joined CBC’s Executive Board of Directors. It is an honor to be a part of something that can help so many children with congenital heart defects.
Since I have been a member of the CBC team so long, I have known some campers since they were 1 year old. Watching the children grow and learn how to exceed their own expectations is one of the best things about Camp Bon Coeur.
I have been a nurse for 25 years and have worked in ICU, an ambulatory surgery center, Burn ICU and now at the Heart Hospital of Lafayette. I am married and have 4 children. CBC is an important part of my life.
Shana Zanyk
Head Nurse
Shawn Fontenot
Camp Nurse
I'm one of the camp nurses (the favorite nurse, really). I first volunteered in the summer 2012 and I have been to every camp since. I was also born with a congenital heart defect so I know exactly what our campers have been through and I think knowing this helps me bond with the kids even more. Outside of camp, I am a pediatric cardiology nurse. My favorite memory of camp is meeting my wife here.
The best thing about camp is seeing all the kids so happy and carefree. They're always smiling and able to do whatever they want without having to feel different from their peers. Bonding with the kids is a special part of camp and you can really see how much the staff cares for the campers.
Shawn Fontenot
Camp Nurse
"MerBen" Handley
Canoeing Instructor
I have been with Camp Bon Coeur for the last 15 years in many different roles. I am a biologist by training, and a geologist and erstwhile puzzle designer by trade. I enjoy the outdoors, reading, learning, playing games, and socializing. I spent a couple of years growing up within a few hundred yards of the Panama Canal and have lived in Louisiana almost half my life, but I will always consider Virginia home.
The best thing for me at camp is seeing kids grow beyond their conditions and develop over the years as individuals. Knowing that I have played a part in helping heart kids find out who they are as people instead of who they are as conditions is incredibly fulfilling.
"MerBen" Handley
Canoeing Instructor
