Though it wasn't easy sailing, she found the courage to endure the trials that came like waves after her diagnoses -- anxiety, depression, pain.

There was also hope.

Today, Grush is a senior at Raft River High School. She's also a cheerleader and vice president of her senior class. The bone cancer -- Ewing's sarcoma -- that infected her left leg has gone into remission. She still visits a doctor every three months to stay abreast of her progress, but as you can tell, things are looking up.

And to top it off, she's rafted about 80 miles of the Salmon River.

The experience occurred July 23-29, when she joined five other cancer survivors -- all 13-17 year olds -- as part of Camp Discovery Idaho.

Grush heard about the program last year, but by then camp was already filled. When she read an article in the Times-News in April about this summer's camp, she decided to give it another try.

It worked out and Grush became fast friends with the other teens who attended camp. She said it was refreshing to be around people who understood what she had been going through with the disease.

"Sometimes you feel like no one really understands," she said, "but when I was at camp, around these kids, I didn't have to explain everything. They understood."

Right on, according to camp director Mary Wright.

“The free river trips offer young cancer survivors the opportunity to connect with peers, challenge themselves in the outdoors, and address physical and emotional issues unique to cancer,” Wright said.

“It gave them opportunities to do things they likely wouldn't do otherwise,” she said.

The group rafted about 14 miles each day of camp, from Salmon to McCall. The teens, who were supervised by camp advisors, also witnessed God's creations and participated in other group activities, such as rappelling.

Sylvia Grush, Brittany's mother, said she's pleased her daughter had the opportunity to be part of Camp Discovery while she still could. Next year she'll be 18, too old to participate in the program. Sylvia also was impressed by the Angel Flight West pilot who picked up Brittany at the Burley Airport and another one who dropped her off when camp was over.

That saved the family from traveling from Malta to Salmon, a 600-mile round trip.

This was the first year Angel Flight West has participated in the camp. The organization, founded in 1983 and based in Santa Monica, Calif., arranges free air transportation in 13 western states for those with health-care needs. The volunteer pilots donate their time to transport patients to and from medical treatments, as well as flying survivors to programs such as Camp Discovery.

Pilot Fred Kent and his wife Cheryl flew Brittany and another camp participant, 12-year-old Steven Bagley of American Fork, Utah, from camp to airports near their homes.

"It is very, very gratifying to be able to reach out and help these families in need," said Kent of North Salt Lake. "The families are usually very grateful for our assistance, and it makes us feel good to be able to do it."

The Kents' two passengers were so exhausted from their experiences at camp, however, that they wound up sleeping during their flight home, Cheryl said. She was touched to see the bond that seemed to exist between all the teens after only a week at camp. They left the program "teary-eyed, promising to e-mail and stay in contact with each other," she said.

Camp Discovery will hold its Young Adult Survivor program for those ages 18-30 on Sept. 1-7. Josh Olson, assistant director of missions for Angel Flight West, said his organization will again participate in the event.

"It seems to have been a success," he said of the youth camp.

Though Brittany won't be attending the camp next year, she said she'd recommend it to anyone who qualifies.

"It was so awesome," she said.