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Ty Campbell
(October 4, 2007 - October 17, 2012) |
In light of today being Halloween and the numerous superhero costumes you are likely to see tonight on your doorstep, we wanted to dedicate today's blog to a true superhero,
Ty Campbell, one of our childhood cancer heroes who recently passed away, less than two weeks after his fifth birthday. Ty – dubbed “SuperTy” and a “Little Fighter” by his parents – was diagnosed with an extra renal rhabdoid tumor, a very rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, shortly before he turned 3-years-old. As a result of Ty’s treatment that included three tumor resections, five rounds of high dose chemotherapy, metronomic chemotherapy and 45 radiation treatments to two parts of his brain – Ty endured multiple infections including three bouts of meningitis, paralyzing brain bleeds and radiation necrosis on his brainstem that left him paralyzed and unable to move his limbs. Despite all of these unimaginable hardships, “SuperTy” earned his nickname fighting like the superhero he was and continuing to smile.
Ty captured the hearts of many beyond his hometown of Pawling, NY, thanks to his mom
Cindy’s widely ready blog that provided an honest, emotional narrative of their battle with the disease. One of Cindy’s most publicized posts was a
beautiful,yet heart wrenching account of Ty’s final moments and the time her husband Lou and she spent with Ty after he passed away.
Ty’s story is a solemn reminder of why we must remain committed to finding better treatments and cures for all children battling this horrible disease. Ty’s courage and bravery inspires and motivates us on a daily basis to fulfill our mission to raise as much funds as possible for pediatric cancer research projects. As Ty himself said when asked what he was going to do to the cancer, “Beat that up,” we fully intend to do just that. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Campbell family and we won’t stop fighting – until there’s a cure.
