Ty Louis Campbell's Parents Fight Grief with Focus on Foundation

These days, Cindy and Lou Campbell, of Pawling, spend their time clinging to memories of the 5-year-old son who passed about a month and half ago.

They sit in his room and caress his toys. They come across the bins that house his medications and treatment equipment, and put them back on the shelf, unable to part with the items that were constants in their son's life for two years. They take Gavin, Ty's younger brother, into their arms and read books meant to explain death to children. They even, in denial, purchase candy their firstborn would have loved—unable to ignore the sweets because that means accepting Ty's death.

Each of those experiences was chronicled in Cindy Campbell's blog, which reaches thousands of folks across the world. 

But the grieving mother has shared a big bright spot in recent posts: The progress of the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation.

The non-profit, aimed at raising money for pediatric cancer research, was established when Ty was still alive. Back then, it was something the couple ran from home.

Now, thanks to the generosity of a friend, the foundation will operate out of an office in Carmel. Here's what Cindy said about the space Nov. 20:

I went straight to the office ... and I was overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone. There were unexpected packages everywhere! Things are really coming together here and soon we will be up and running!

This week Cindy shared a bit of what she's been working on in the office (which will eventually be covered in Ty's artwork, and overflowing with tons of candy):

Thank God for Ty's foundation. I haven't been able to update this blog because I have truly been inundated with work trying to keep up with everything. We have SO MANY big ideas, and so far we are off to an incredible start. We will be launching the new website soon. We will be introducing The Muddy Puddles Project. We will be hosting events and opening up a merchant site to buy SuperTy products. All of it is very exciting.

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Click here to read Cindy's blog.

Here is more—including the August 2010 diagnosis, a Make a Wish Foundation trip to Disney World, the absence of the disease after doctors predicted months to live, and the cancer's return—on Ty's battle:

• Celebrations of Ty Louis Campbell's Life to Continue
• 'Little Fighter' Marks 2 Years Since Diagnosis
• Thousands to Pray for 'Little Fighter' on His 5th Birthday
• Ty Louis Campbell Loses Battle to Cancer at 5
• VIDEO: Ty Louis Campbell's Name Soars in the Sky