Here we go.

My name is Eugenia DeMello.

Um, I've been in the United States for 20 years, and I'm Kamilla Freeman's mom.

Ok, Kamilla, see we have friends over.

-Seriously?

-Yes!

and they want to know about you.

How old are you?

Camila Freeman.

Im 14.

And how old are you going to be on your birthday in September?

Oh, 15.

That's right.

What do you usually do for your birthday?

Do you have a party?

Do you invite your friends?

Friends?

Friends.

Kamilla was born on her due date and she hit all her milestones, somewhere around her first birthday, we noticed that she was not really sitting up or she was really, really small for her age at the time.

We addressed that with our family doctor, and we were referred to Iowa City Center for Disabilities and Development.

We met with different specialists they just said, you know, it was developmental delays.

I asked for a referral to Mayo Clinic, and they found that she has spots on her brain.

And the kind of an official verdict was that it's not genetic, it's possible brain damage.

Almost every day we had at least one therapy.

Either it would be occupational and physical or speech therapy.

I'm originally from Turkmenistan and my first language is Russian.

it was important for me to have Kamilla speak Russian.

However, when we started going to the speech therapist, I had to make a decision to speak English, and I make sure that she speaks at least, or understands at least, one language.

Where do you go in August?

High school?

High school!

That's right.

Is that your first year in high school?

Do you like doing chorus and band?

Yeah, of course.

Band is best ever.

She makes friends at school in the same class.

But then those kids grow up and they change and they have different priorities, different friends, different interests where Kamilla kind of stays behind in this early childhood.

So every summer, Kamilla goes to... -camp.

What's the name of the camp?

Camp Sunny Side.

-Thats right.

What did you start doing at the camp?

Did you start writing these stories?

Yeah.

She will tell the story and counselors would write them.

Once upon a time there was King Max and Queen Emma and baby Kamilla.

Well, then lightning strikes in the castle.

Our team members who support the role of summer camp counselor come from all over the world.

And when we ask our counselors why do you come back year after year, they will name you specific campers, and they're the reason why.

And time and time again, Kamilla is that camper.

Last November, Kamilla got... -award.

It's a Spirit award.

-Yeah, -Where did you get that?

-Because were you... -drink -kind or were you not kind?

-Kind!

-You were kind.

Were you happy or you were not happy?

-Happy!

-You were happy all the time!

Were you friendly to all your friends?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

We tried dance without limits, I think, at least seven years ago.

And she just struggled so much.

I think I want her more to dance than she actually wanted to.

And this time she did it.

She did it.

And she had such a great success.

So a lot of things that were tried when she was younger.

I try to try it right now because the way she looks at the world a little bit differently and it's not scary anymore.

What kind of musical are you going to do for the theater?

The High School Musical?

Yeah.

Kamilla is a part of 28 penguin artists that are doing a high school musical junior here at the Des Moines Playhouse alongside their peer mentors.

When we first started this process, Kamilla was a little shy, she has blossomed into this thriving artist here on our stage.

What I've learned because the world of people with disabilities, it's a new for me as well.

I never grew up around disabled people or not on my close family had any disabilities.

So I, I grew with Kamilla.

And one of the things that I noticed with Kamilla and I think that greatest thing about her, that she sees people differently than anyone else she doesn't have this jealousy judgment or that's not part of her personality that that innocence.

But I think main thing you, you will need to be your advocate for your kid.

Maybe be entire their life.

When you grew up and you're going to be big are you going to finish high school?

Who you want to be Kamilla?

-I be a scientist.

What kind of scientist?

And an inventor.

You're going to invent something What are you going to invent?

A potion.

A potion?

-Yeah.

Is that what that potion going to do?

Is it going to give someone super powers, or make someone better?

-Super powers.

From evil scientist.

What kind of super powers your potion going to have?

Super strength.

I don't know how her disability is going to play out when she's 18 or 25.

When her brain is fully developed.

So a lot of unknown.

So that is why we're going to just, you know, live day by day and enjoy her the way she is, you know, and she's incredible.