Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford revealed a personal connection to Camp Mystic after flooding in Texas killed at least 27 campers and counselors.
Stafford, 37, disclosed on the Thursday, July 10, episode of his wife Kelly Stafford’s podcast, “The Morning After,” that his older sister, Page, attended the Christian summer camp as a kid.
The quarterback and his family moved to Dallas when he was growing up, roughly 300 miles from Camp Mystic’s location in Hunt, Texas.
“Awful, awful thing to see,” Matthew said. “I can’t imagine in the middle of the night waking up to something like that, whether you were at the camp or around. It’s a tough thing to look at. Tough to understand why those things happen.”
He added, “Definitely heart wrenching. A tough thing to read about and see about. Just thinking about the people in that region of the country. It hits pretty close to home for me.”
Matthew also shone a light on the individuals who put their lives in harms’ way to attempt to save victims of the flooding.
“There were a lot of people out there who were brave,” he said. “There are some amazing stories from it, too. People trying to save people and getting that done.”
Kelly, 36, called the tragedy “your worst nightmare if you’re a parent,” and referenced the story of 8-year-old twin sisters, Hanna and Rebecca, who died in the flooding at Camp Mystic.
“That hit, because that’s what we have,” Kelly said. “As a parent, it’s hard to even look at.”
Kelly and Matthew are parents to four daughters: twins Sawyer and Chandler, 8, Hunter, 6, and Tyler, 5.
“We’re sending our girls to sleepaway camp for the first time this year,” Kelly said. “They’re so excited. I imagine those girls were so excited to get to go to this camp. For it to end like that is just so hard.”
She added, “I can’t put my feet in these parents’ shoes right now.”
After the tragedy, Camp Mystic released a statement acknowledging the devastation and loss of life.
“Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River,” the camp said. “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.”
The statement continued, “We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.”
At least 120 people have died in the flooding, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, July 9. At least 150 people remain missing, including at least five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic.
