06-01-2015, 12:11 PM
There were a lot of great things about the official Bengals.com message board that we are going to miss. I am not going to litter this fresh new site with so many of those things because the best part of that forum is already here: the members.
There is, however, one peice that I felt needed to be retained. Following is every post by Bengals.com message board member CameronCat, written by Cameron Hartman, his mother Amy, his aunt Meems, and his grandmother.
March 29, 2012
Who Dey!!! My name is Amy, Cameron's mom. I want to thank all of the Bengal fans and Jerome #89 for making my little man smile; for giving him a reason to keep fighting. While he is in the hospital, his 'fan mail' is the highlight of his day. He LOVES reading the messages from his caringbridge.org site. He thinks he's famous now that he has his own website. :) I am so blessed that we have had such an response from Bengal nation.
Cameron is a true Bengal fan! His room is decked out in Bengal gear, right down to his bedding. And I must mention he NEVER gives up on his team! Cameron has been through so much and has a difficult journey ahead of him. No matter how much pain he is in; he never gives up. He is a fighter and has such a HUGE heart. His doctors and nurses are amazed at how well he does with everything. Cameron hardly ever complains and says, "I"m use to it." Sad, but true. What a trooper?!?! He has been such an inspiration to me. I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful community. Thanks again for everyone's love, support and encouraging messages. We couldn't do this without you!
March 30, 2012
Cameron just went in for emergency surgery. The surgery should last 2-4 hours. Prayers are much appreciated. Thank you Bengal Nation!!
March 31, 2012
Thank you for all of your prayers and concern for Cameron. We really appreciate it! For updates on Cameron's progress please feel free to check out his caringbridge.org site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cameronhartman
Who Dey!!
April 10, 2012
Bengal Bomb Squad
Message from Cameron
Thanks for all my bengal things, I LOVE THEM! I cant believe all the cool things you sent me, they are so AWESOME!!!! I put the beads and hat on and was waving my rally towel saying "WHO-DEY, WHO-DEY" mom took a video but we need help to put on here. My room, is going be really cool now with all these new things, i got alot of cool stuff, thanks! The Bengal Thing your card is so cool you look like a Bengal Hulk Hogan totally awesome thanks for signing them for me! WHO-DEY!
Bengal fans: Thanks for writing me messages here and on my own website I think it's SO AWESOME im on the Bengal site its really cool! I love hearing the jokes and reading them they crack me up. If I could spend a day with just one Bengal player it would be Andy Dalton, I want him to throw passes to me and see if I can catch them, and everyone says I have a great arm when I throw the football and I want pass the football to him, I know every player name and number and love them all. Mom has a video of me at a game yelling who dey who dey we just dont know how to put it on here you guys would think its so funny and cool, if we can figure it out. Thanks WHO-DEY!
Cameron
April 13, 2012
Just wanted to let everyone know Cameron loved the idea of creating a special name for him and he loved " CameronCat" when he gets home I will let him know all the other suggestions for a special name for him. He is going be so excited when he sees all the options his wonderful supporters are suggesting! He thinks he's a star and loves having his Bengals fans behind him!! Thanks again everyone you are always making my little man smile!
April 13, 2012
Cameron will be responding to all of his "fan mail" tommorow, he wasn't feeling good today and has slept most of the evening. He wanted me to upload a few videos of him cheering at the Bengals game he got to attend it took me awhile to figure out how to upload them, here are the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-Nq1g8S-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ-xKFtJF_8&feature=youtu.be
http://youtu.be/2fwPFY1xWOA
He is very excited about his name "CameronCat" he wants everyone to know his second best name choice was cam hawk. Thanks again everyone!
April 22, 2012
On Wednesday, Cameron went to Cincinnati Children's for his monthly check-up. He is stable from his surgery. :) Please continue praying that he stays healthy until his transplant in July.
Cameron's BMT has been pushed back one week; his donor is not available until the following week (July 26th). They have a 24-hour window from donor to transplant recipient. We did learn that Cameron's donor is a male in his early twenties. We are so blessed that this young man is willing to give his bone marrow so Cameron has a fighting chance. We cannot thank him enough! We also continue to pray that Cameron's donor stays healthy and has a quick recovery after donation.
Cameron wanted me to share that he enjoyed his spring break once he was home. He had a blast at Dave and Busters and the Dayton Dragons game. Cameron insisted they stay until the 9th inning. It's a good thing because the Dragons ended up winning in the bottom of the 9th. What an exciting game! Cameron also wanted to thank the Forgotten Breed for inviting him to their Easter egg hunt. He had such a great time!
We have a little over two months until Cameron starts preparing for his BMT. Thank you for your prayers, time and resources!
Message from CameronCat
Cinci-painting Bengals - Thanks for the really cool paintings you sent me. i really like them! Mom helped me hang them in my room, you are really good at doing paintings. My brother Josh loves the Bengals like me and I gave him one of the paintings to hang in his room too.
GoCards - Those pictures you sent me were AWESOME! Tell your friend he did a good job at taking pictures. Green had a nice catch in that one picture you sent me. If I could go I would of picked the Bengals/Packers but DR. said I wont be able to go to any games this year because of my bone marrow. Thanks for saving some for me for next year hope I can go then, I love going to the games they are so much fun!
Thanks everyone for sending me cool things and mesages to me, I think it is SO Cool I am on Bengals site. WHO-DEY !!! GO BENGALS!
CameronCAt
April 29, 2012
Hi Bengal friends! Thanks Mrs. Rumblecat for my awesome picture you made me! I hung it in my room I really like it you did a great job making it! Im getting excited im going Disney soon for my make a wish trip! Who-dey everyone! Cameroncat
May 28, 2012
Hi, Bengal Friends! I am home from my Make a Wish trip, look on my site for pictures from my trip, I had a blast! My favorite thing was on cruise called aqua duck it was like a roller coaster water slide, it was AWESOME! I got month left for i got go hospital, mom says I can watch the games in hospital, GO BENGALS! When is training camp? WHO-DEY!
your friend cameroncat
June 28, 2012
GREAT NEWS!!! Cameron will have a donor!! Thank you for all of your prayers! His donor is a young male in his twenties. What an incredible gift this young man is giving to a stranger... the gift of life. AMAZING!!
This week has been packed full of testing for Cameron. Cameron is very tired after his busy week of testing. We are so thankful that his heart, kidneys and lungs appear to be healthy enough to withstand the transplant. He is still on schedule to be admitted to the hospital on July 9th. He wanted me to let everyone know he will send a message in the next day or so and that he said WHO-DEY and he likes reading everyone messages. Thanks for everything! Your continued prayers are much appreciated.
Amy
July 10, 2012 (posted from the GrandmaFay account)
Thanks for your support. Cameron Cat had his first chemo treatment today. He really enjoys getting messages from his Bengal Fans!!! He is going to need lots of encouragement through this process.
He loves to read his fan mail on CaringBridge.
Thank you!!
Grandma
July 12, 2012
Hi! Bengal Friends! I am in hospital, doing my bone marrow, the new medicine makes me really tired but im doing good. Im excited for football start, I brought some on my bengal things and bengal blanket to hospital with me. WHO-DEY!
Cameroncat
July 24, 2012
Update on Cameron:
Cameron finished his chemo on Saturday. The last dose was pretty strong. Cameron has been sleeping since Saturday afternoon, waking for very short periods of time. He reassures everyone he is fine when they try to comfort him after he is sick. He is such a trooper! We feel blessed that he seems to remain in good spirits. While we know his body needs the rest it is challenging to watch Cameron sleep for days when he is typically full of energy and the life of the party. We look forward to the days when he is up playing basketball and on the move again. We continue to pray that the chemotherapy has prepared Cameron's body to accept the stem cells and that the transplant is a complete success.
Please keep the messages coming! Cameron is not able to talk for long due to the sores in his mouth/throat, but know he still appreciates them. I am sure he will respond to his fan mail when he feels up to it.
Thank you all for your love and support.
August 2, 2012
It has been quite a week for little guy... They have been struggling to keep his blood pressure, heart rate and temperature within normal limits. He started on insulin earlier this week and they decided this morning they are going to give him 15 units every morning in hopes to regulate his blood sugar.
Cameron has two infections one in his stool and one in his blood stream. The cultures came back this morning that the infection in his bloodstream is Pseudomonas. They are going to watch Cameron VERY closely. Often times this infection "attacks" the area around the central line. We are waiting to hear if they will have to remove his central line and insert a couple of PICC lines until the infection is gone. We pray the antibiotics work to treat the infection quickly so that Cameron does not have to go through another surgery.
Cameron's platelet counts have been low. He received a platelet transfusion on Monday and another one this morning. They will check his counts in a couple of hours. If they have not increased he will receive another platelet transfusion later today.
Please keep the messages coming! Cameron has been sleeping for a week, but for the short times he wakes up I have been reading him his 'fan mail.' He doesn't speak but he nods his head after each message. Please keep praying for Cam and continuing to cheer him on!!!
Thanks,
Mom
April 4, 2012
Just wanted to let you know my son Cameron loves your (ed. The Bengal Thing) costume, he thinks it really cool and awesome! He said he needs to get something like that to show how much he loves the Bengals! Also, not only is your costume Awesome, you are an Awesome person for what you and the Bengal nation has done for my son, you brought lots of smiles to Cameron and he brought some of the things you sent him, including your signed card in your "Costume". Just wanted to say thanks again you really made a difference for Cameron! Who-Dey!
August 9, 2012
Just wanted to share with everyone that Cameron's count were high enough today that he got a pass to leave the room for therapy today, 1st time out of the room in a month! He got to go to their gym, and he played Wii! He was able to walk all the way there and back. He did awesome! Then he asked them " Since the DR. gave me a pass to leave the room, do you think he would give me one to go to the game tommorow, since I'm already in Cincinnati" LOL! Cant blame him for trying, he loves his Bengals and football! Thanks again everyone for your support! WHO-DEY!
Mom
September 17, 2012
Cameron was having a really good week last week, then over the weekend started having some problems. The past 24 hrs have been really rough on Cameron, he has had a fever, high B/P and heart rate, he has been vomiting everytime he moves or tries to take a drink of something and has increased adominal pain and a red, warm rash, they are doing xray and adominal ultrasound today and drew some blood cultures but we are waiting on the results.. He loves when I read his messages too him, and I appreciate everyone still checking on him and sending him messages. He wanted me to share with his Bengals friends that he had a very special visitor Friday, MIke Nugent came to visit him here at the hospital, Cameron was very excited, and he also brought him a signed NFL football from him, Andy and A.J. Green and a magic board. Mike really made Camerons day and it brought big smiles to his face, Caeron was calling his family that day to tell him how happy and excited he was. What a great, amazing guy to take time and come visit him! He says this week the Bengals will win and tell his bengals friends WHO-DEY! Thanks again for everyones love and support it really means alot too Cameron and to me.
Cameron Mom
December 13, 2012
Update on Cameron:
Thank you for all of your continued support. We truly would not be able to do this without you. Your posts, videos, texts, phone calls, cards and visits are working to keep Cam's spirits up!
The past few days have been scary. That being said I am absolutely amazed by the medical team here at Cincinnati Children's. Their diligence, tenacity and concern for Cameron's well-being is incredible. Their ability to make split second decisions during a critical situation is unbelievable. I want to thank everyone for taking such great care of little man.
Cameron had a difficult night on Monday. His blood pressure and heart rate were high and he was in increased pain. He also lost quite a bit of blood when he vomited. Tuesday morning, Cameron was having difficulty breathing on 8L of oxygen, he was in excruciating pain and all of his vitals were high. Based on his condition and his difficulty breathing he was evaluated by MRT and moved to ICU.
We are still in ICU; they have not discussed when Cam will be able to move to the BMT floor. He misses his room and all of his nurses and friends from his unit. They are wonderful and still come to visit.
The challenge we face is that we still are not sure what the etiology is of the distension in his abdomen. At this point the goals of the medical team are to keep Cam's lungs healthy using the bipap, to decrease the amount of steriods since his last endoscopy did not show GvHD (YAY!!!!!), to remove the excess fluids from his body using lasix and to switch to plasmaphoresis vs. photophoresis since they believe Cameron may have TMA (http://www.unckidneycenter.org/kidne...hrombotic.html). This is a serious disease that affects the blood vessels. Often times it is not diagnosed until the individual passes. Even though we are not certain this is what is causing Cam's complications we are grateful they are starting the plasmaphoresis. I must give a huge thank you to Dr. Kumar. He has not stopped researching ways to help Cameron. He flew in on Tuesday and immediately drove to the hospital to be a part of the treatment plan for Cam on Tuesday evening. He is always willing to answer questions and to take calls concerning Cameron, day or night. I am so grateful that we were blessed with Dr. Kumar as his primary BMT doctor.
Right now they are also focused on getting his gut working again. The muscles are not moving so he is not able to get rid of all of the waste, bacteria, etc. that builds up in his system. As a result, he is at an increased risk for infection. Cameron will also be receiving a boost of lymphocytes from the original donor. They will draw periphereal stem cells from the donor and will give them to Cameron in hopes that this will build Cameron's natural immune system. As much as they try to help Cameron's immune system with medications, it is not the same as having his own immune system. We do not know who the donor is, but we cannot thank him enough for his willingness to help Cameron again. I just want to give this person the biggest hug and thank him for giving Cam the gift of life and hopes of a healthy future.
The treatment plan for today as already changed. After rounds they were going to start Cam on Neostigmine to try to help get his bowel working again. This is a potent drug so they were prepared for all of the possible side effects. After rounds, Cameron had a large bowel movement. It looks like he is getting rid of all of the old blood that is in his belly. We are so thankful that he was able to pass this on his own. As a result, they have discontinued the Neostigmine at this time. YAY!! He still has a lot to remove, but we will take this as a step in the right direction.
Cam is going through a lot right now and he does not complain. He has been asking to have the mask removed and to have a drink of water. When we explain why the mask is important and why he cannot have water he accepts the answers and cooperates. His strength amazes me!!! Yesterday, they were able to decrease the pressure in his bipap and he was able to get a short break from the mask. Today his CO2 was higher and he was destating so they had to go up on his pressure again. It is imperative that they keep his lungs healthy. Their goal is to keep his lungs from collapsing. So far Cameron has done well on the bipap machine and has not needed to be intibated. What a huge blessing!!
We welcome visitors to keep Cam's spirits up. Please know that he looks VERY different from when you saw him a few months ago or even a few days ago. Please do not comment on his appearance other than how incredibly handsome he is. He does not enjoy the bipap mask; it is uncomfortable and it is difficult to hear what he is saying. Please be patient with him if he is trying to communicate something to you. Thank you!!
Please continue your prayers for Cameron. I know they are working. He is in a critical state, but he continues to amaze us and everyone here. He is one heck of a fighter. We are thankful that we are able to be right by his side on this journey to encourage him, to assist him, to love him.
Also, I know that we are all looking for ways to give back this time of year. I want to encourage those who are able to consider giving the gift of blood, plasma and bone marrow. Cameron would not be where he is today without the generosity of so many strangers. For that we are thankful.
Remember to count your blessings today and every day. Life is the greatest gift and we receive it one breath at a time.
December 28, 2012
Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. CameronCat is in PICU at Cincinnati Children's. He is definitely still putting up a fight. We know he loves hearing from you all. Thank you for including him the way you have in the Bengal community. He is by far THE biggest Bengal fan. Before he was sedated we discussed reaching out to Marvin Lewis to see if he wanted a junior mascot. Cam would be the perfect candidate!!
Cam would ask me to end this message with a big WHO-DEY!! Beat the Ravens!!
December 29, 2012
CameronCat is still putting up a fight. He is still critically ill but is not worse than yesterday. We will consider this a blessing and are still praying for a miracle.
January 8, 2013
January 23, 2002 – January 6, 2013
Cameron Matthew Hartman, age 10, courageously finished his journey here on the earth and truffle shuffled into the arms of Jesus.
Cameron was an avid Bengals fan, proud Elk, Phase 10 champion, grill master, Buffalo Wild Wings destroyer, animal lover, life of the party, roller coaster connoisseur and ambassador of good will.
Throughout Cameron’s life and especially since being diagnosed with DOCK8 mutation in October 2011, Cam has inspired all who knew him to seize every opportunity, laugh often, remain selfless in the midst of everything, never miss an opportunity to say ‘I love you’ and Never, Never, Never give up.
![[Image: camcat.png]](http://csicable.net/~bengalsmessageboard/images/camcat.png)
Please join Amy, Adam, Ashley, Brandon, Josh, Norman, Audrey, Ken, Sally, Phillip, Chris, Mark, Christine and Emily to celebrate Cameron’s life at Washington Heights Baptist Church 5650 Far Hills Ave, Dayton Ohio 45429.
Visitation hours: Friday, January 11th, 3-5 pm & 7-9 pm; Saturday, January 12th, 10 am -12 pm
Victory Celebration: Saturday, January 12th 1 pm.
In honor of Cam’s love for football, please join us in sporting his teams’ colors – black & gold for his Elks or black & orange for his Bengals.
In lieu of flowers, please send tax-deductible contributions to the Cameron Hartman Fund: 5650 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45429
For all who grieve for Cameron, remember his consoling words “Don’t Worry! I’m fine!”
January 9, 2013
"May God welcome Cameron to Heaven with a Black and Orange stripe jersey, and for his family and friends, May God extend his solace and mercy. God Bless you-my deepest condolences"
Thank you for your outpouring of support for CameronCat and our family. He was honored to be a member of this message board and would always share with his medical team that he was on the Bengal's site. He loved his title. He loved receiving his 'fan mail'. We watched the playoff game on Saturday. Cam's nurse made him a t-shirt for the game with a picture of Who-Dey and 'CameronCat' across his chest. While we are not sure if he could hear us, I gave him the play-by-play of the game and made sure that everyone spoke highly of the Bengals when they walked into the room. Cameron supported his Bengals - win or lose. He was a loyal fan and LOVED his team. To honor Cam and his love for life and football, he will be laid to rest in his Andy Dalton jersey that he was never able to open for Christmas. He would be wearing his Mike Nugent jersey, but it has such sentimental value to us that we want to keep it as a memory of our CameronCat. Mike came to visit Cameron in the hospital he talked about it with everyone who would listen. He looked up to Mike and all of the football players as inspiration when he was having a difficult day. Cam will also sport his Bengals hat and lay with his Bengal PillowPet. He loved life and his football team. We know he wouldn't have it any other way.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Cam's aunt, Meems
December 2, 2012
Glad to see that people are still posting to this thread. I know Cam is very honored that his story is in The Hall of Fame, He always told everyone when he was in the hospital he was on the Bengals message board and always looked forward to his fan mail. Each week when the Bengals play, I say they have a very special Angel watching over them! I am sure he has the best game day parties ever in Heaven! I had a very special Bengals jersey made it has his football number 47 and CameronCat on the back ,he loved his name you guys gave him! Thanks for all the love and support it meant alot to us! Thanks for letting my little guy be a part of your amazing Bengal family!
There is, however, one peice that I felt needed to be retained. Following is every post by Bengals.com message board member CameronCat, written by Cameron Hartman, his mother Amy, his aunt Meems, and his grandmother.
March 29, 2012
Who Dey!!! My name is Amy, Cameron's mom. I want to thank all of the Bengal fans and Jerome #89 for making my little man smile; for giving him a reason to keep fighting. While he is in the hospital, his 'fan mail' is the highlight of his day. He LOVES reading the messages from his caringbridge.org site. He thinks he's famous now that he has his own website. :) I am so blessed that we have had such an response from Bengal nation.
Cameron is a true Bengal fan! His room is decked out in Bengal gear, right down to his bedding. And I must mention he NEVER gives up on his team! Cameron has been through so much and has a difficult journey ahead of him. No matter how much pain he is in; he never gives up. He is a fighter and has such a HUGE heart. His doctors and nurses are amazed at how well he does with everything. Cameron hardly ever complains and says, "I"m use to it." Sad, but true. What a trooper?!?! He has been such an inspiration to me. I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful community. Thanks again for everyone's love, support and encouraging messages. We couldn't do this without you!
March 30, 2012
Cameron just went in for emergency surgery. The surgery should last 2-4 hours. Prayers are much appreciated. Thank you Bengal Nation!!
March 31, 2012
Thank you for all of your prayers and concern for Cameron. We really appreciate it! For updates on Cameron's progress please feel free to check out his caringbridge.org site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cameronhartman
Who Dey!!
April 10, 2012
Bengal Bomb Squad
Message from Cameron
Thanks for all my bengal things, I LOVE THEM! I cant believe all the cool things you sent me, they are so AWESOME!!!! I put the beads and hat on and was waving my rally towel saying "WHO-DEY, WHO-DEY" mom took a video but we need help to put on here. My room, is going be really cool now with all these new things, i got alot of cool stuff, thanks! The Bengal Thing your card is so cool you look like a Bengal Hulk Hogan totally awesome thanks for signing them for me! WHO-DEY!
Bengal fans: Thanks for writing me messages here and on my own website I think it's SO AWESOME im on the Bengal site its really cool! I love hearing the jokes and reading them they crack me up. If I could spend a day with just one Bengal player it would be Andy Dalton, I want him to throw passes to me and see if I can catch them, and everyone says I have a great arm when I throw the football and I want pass the football to him, I know every player name and number and love them all. Mom has a video of me at a game yelling who dey who dey we just dont know how to put it on here you guys would think its so funny and cool, if we can figure it out. Thanks WHO-DEY!
Cameron
April 13, 2012
Just wanted to let everyone know Cameron loved the idea of creating a special name for him and he loved " CameronCat" when he gets home I will let him know all the other suggestions for a special name for him. He is going be so excited when he sees all the options his wonderful supporters are suggesting! He thinks he's a star and loves having his Bengals fans behind him!! Thanks again everyone you are always making my little man smile!
April 13, 2012
Cameron will be responding to all of his "fan mail" tommorow, he wasn't feeling good today and has slept most of the evening. He wanted me to upload a few videos of him cheering at the Bengals game he got to attend it took me awhile to figure out how to upload them, here are the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-Nq1g8S-g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ-xKFtJF_8&feature=youtu.be
http://youtu.be/2fwPFY1xWOA
He is very excited about his name "CameronCat" he wants everyone to know his second best name choice was cam hawk. Thanks again everyone!
April 22, 2012
On Wednesday, Cameron went to Cincinnati Children's for his monthly check-up. He is stable from his surgery. :) Please continue praying that he stays healthy until his transplant in July.
Cameron's BMT has been pushed back one week; his donor is not available until the following week (July 26th). They have a 24-hour window from donor to transplant recipient. We did learn that Cameron's donor is a male in his early twenties. We are so blessed that this young man is willing to give his bone marrow so Cameron has a fighting chance. We cannot thank him enough! We also continue to pray that Cameron's donor stays healthy and has a quick recovery after donation.
Cameron wanted me to share that he enjoyed his spring break once he was home. He had a blast at Dave and Busters and the Dayton Dragons game. Cameron insisted they stay until the 9th inning. It's a good thing because the Dragons ended up winning in the bottom of the 9th. What an exciting game! Cameron also wanted to thank the Forgotten Breed for inviting him to their Easter egg hunt. He had such a great time!
We have a little over two months until Cameron starts preparing for his BMT. Thank you for your prayers, time and resources!
Message from CameronCat
Cinci-painting Bengals - Thanks for the really cool paintings you sent me. i really like them! Mom helped me hang them in my room, you are really good at doing paintings. My brother Josh loves the Bengals like me and I gave him one of the paintings to hang in his room too.
GoCards - Those pictures you sent me were AWESOME! Tell your friend he did a good job at taking pictures. Green had a nice catch in that one picture you sent me. If I could go I would of picked the Bengals/Packers but DR. said I wont be able to go to any games this year because of my bone marrow. Thanks for saving some for me for next year hope I can go then, I love going to the games they are so much fun!
Thanks everyone for sending me cool things and mesages to me, I think it is SO Cool I am on Bengals site. WHO-DEY !!! GO BENGALS!
CameronCAt
April 29, 2012
Hi Bengal friends! Thanks Mrs. Rumblecat for my awesome picture you made me! I hung it in my room I really like it you did a great job making it! Im getting excited im going Disney soon for my make a wish trip! Who-dey everyone! Cameroncat
May 28, 2012
Hi, Bengal Friends! I am home from my Make a Wish trip, look on my site for pictures from my trip, I had a blast! My favorite thing was on cruise called aqua duck it was like a roller coaster water slide, it was AWESOME! I got month left for i got go hospital, mom says I can watch the games in hospital, GO BENGALS! When is training camp? WHO-DEY!
your friend cameroncat
June 28, 2012
GREAT NEWS!!! Cameron will have a donor!! Thank you for all of your prayers! His donor is a young male in his twenties. What an incredible gift this young man is giving to a stranger... the gift of life. AMAZING!!
This week has been packed full of testing for Cameron. Cameron is very tired after his busy week of testing. We are so thankful that his heart, kidneys and lungs appear to be healthy enough to withstand the transplant. He is still on schedule to be admitted to the hospital on July 9th. He wanted me to let everyone know he will send a message in the next day or so and that he said WHO-DEY and he likes reading everyone messages. Thanks for everything! Your continued prayers are much appreciated.
Amy
July 10, 2012 (posted from the GrandmaFay account)
Thanks for your support. Cameron Cat had his first chemo treatment today. He really enjoys getting messages from his Bengal Fans!!! He is going to need lots of encouragement through this process.
He loves to read his fan mail on CaringBridge.
Thank you!!
Grandma
July 12, 2012
Hi! Bengal Friends! I am in hospital, doing my bone marrow, the new medicine makes me really tired but im doing good. Im excited for football start, I brought some on my bengal things and bengal blanket to hospital with me. WHO-DEY!
Cameroncat
July 24, 2012
Update on Cameron:
Cameron finished his chemo on Saturday. The last dose was pretty strong. Cameron has been sleeping since Saturday afternoon, waking for very short periods of time. He reassures everyone he is fine when they try to comfort him after he is sick. He is such a trooper! We feel blessed that he seems to remain in good spirits. While we know his body needs the rest it is challenging to watch Cameron sleep for days when he is typically full of energy and the life of the party. We look forward to the days when he is up playing basketball and on the move again. We continue to pray that the chemotherapy has prepared Cameron's body to accept the stem cells and that the transplant is a complete success.
Please keep the messages coming! Cameron is not able to talk for long due to the sores in his mouth/throat, but know he still appreciates them. I am sure he will respond to his fan mail when he feels up to it.
Thank you all for your love and support.
August 2, 2012
It has been quite a week for little guy... They have been struggling to keep his blood pressure, heart rate and temperature within normal limits. He started on insulin earlier this week and they decided this morning they are going to give him 15 units every morning in hopes to regulate his blood sugar.
Cameron has two infections one in his stool and one in his blood stream. The cultures came back this morning that the infection in his bloodstream is Pseudomonas. They are going to watch Cameron VERY closely. Often times this infection "attacks" the area around the central line. We are waiting to hear if they will have to remove his central line and insert a couple of PICC lines until the infection is gone. We pray the antibiotics work to treat the infection quickly so that Cameron does not have to go through another surgery.
Cameron's platelet counts have been low. He received a platelet transfusion on Monday and another one this morning. They will check his counts in a couple of hours. If they have not increased he will receive another platelet transfusion later today.
Please keep the messages coming! Cameron has been sleeping for a week, but for the short times he wakes up I have been reading him his 'fan mail.' He doesn't speak but he nods his head after each message. Please keep praying for Cam and continuing to cheer him on!!!
Thanks,
Mom
April 4, 2012
Just wanted to let you know my son Cameron loves your (ed. The Bengal Thing) costume, he thinks it really cool and awesome! He said he needs to get something like that to show how much he loves the Bengals! Also, not only is your costume Awesome, you are an Awesome person for what you and the Bengal nation has done for my son, you brought lots of smiles to Cameron and he brought some of the things you sent him, including your signed card in your "Costume". Just wanted to say thanks again you really made a difference for Cameron! Who-Dey!
August 9, 2012
Just wanted to share with everyone that Cameron's count were high enough today that he got a pass to leave the room for therapy today, 1st time out of the room in a month! He got to go to their gym, and he played Wii! He was able to walk all the way there and back. He did awesome! Then he asked them " Since the DR. gave me a pass to leave the room, do you think he would give me one to go to the game tommorow, since I'm already in Cincinnati" LOL! Cant blame him for trying, he loves his Bengals and football! Thanks again everyone for your support! WHO-DEY!
Mom
September 17, 2012
Cameron was having a really good week last week, then over the weekend started having some problems. The past 24 hrs have been really rough on Cameron, he has had a fever, high B/P and heart rate, he has been vomiting everytime he moves or tries to take a drink of something and has increased adominal pain and a red, warm rash, they are doing xray and adominal ultrasound today and drew some blood cultures but we are waiting on the results.. He loves when I read his messages too him, and I appreciate everyone still checking on him and sending him messages. He wanted me to share with his Bengals friends that he had a very special visitor Friday, MIke Nugent came to visit him here at the hospital, Cameron was very excited, and he also brought him a signed NFL football from him, Andy and A.J. Green and a magic board. Mike really made Camerons day and it brought big smiles to his face, Caeron was calling his family that day to tell him how happy and excited he was. What a great, amazing guy to take time and come visit him! He says this week the Bengals will win and tell his bengals friends WHO-DEY! Thanks again for everyones love and support it really means alot too Cameron and to me.
Cameron Mom
December 13, 2012
Update on Cameron:
Thank you for all of your continued support. We truly would not be able to do this without you. Your posts, videos, texts, phone calls, cards and visits are working to keep Cam's spirits up!
The past few days have been scary. That being said I am absolutely amazed by the medical team here at Cincinnati Children's. Their diligence, tenacity and concern for Cameron's well-being is incredible. Their ability to make split second decisions during a critical situation is unbelievable. I want to thank everyone for taking such great care of little man.
Cameron had a difficult night on Monday. His blood pressure and heart rate were high and he was in increased pain. He also lost quite a bit of blood when he vomited. Tuesday morning, Cameron was having difficulty breathing on 8L of oxygen, he was in excruciating pain and all of his vitals were high. Based on his condition and his difficulty breathing he was evaluated by MRT and moved to ICU.
We are still in ICU; they have not discussed when Cam will be able to move to the BMT floor. He misses his room and all of his nurses and friends from his unit. They are wonderful and still come to visit.
The challenge we face is that we still are not sure what the etiology is of the distension in his abdomen. At this point the goals of the medical team are to keep Cam's lungs healthy using the bipap, to decrease the amount of steriods since his last endoscopy did not show GvHD (YAY!!!!!), to remove the excess fluids from his body using lasix and to switch to plasmaphoresis vs. photophoresis since they believe Cameron may have TMA (http://www.unckidneycenter.org/kidne...hrombotic.html). This is a serious disease that affects the blood vessels. Often times it is not diagnosed until the individual passes. Even though we are not certain this is what is causing Cam's complications we are grateful they are starting the plasmaphoresis. I must give a huge thank you to Dr. Kumar. He has not stopped researching ways to help Cameron. He flew in on Tuesday and immediately drove to the hospital to be a part of the treatment plan for Cam on Tuesday evening. He is always willing to answer questions and to take calls concerning Cameron, day or night. I am so grateful that we were blessed with Dr. Kumar as his primary BMT doctor.
Right now they are also focused on getting his gut working again. The muscles are not moving so he is not able to get rid of all of the waste, bacteria, etc. that builds up in his system. As a result, he is at an increased risk for infection. Cameron will also be receiving a boost of lymphocytes from the original donor. They will draw periphereal stem cells from the donor and will give them to Cameron in hopes that this will build Cameron's natural immune system. As much as they try to help Cameron's immune system with medications, it is not the same as having his own immune system. We do not know who the donor is, but we cannot thank him enough for his willingness to help Cameron again. I just want to give this person the biggest hug and thank him for giving Cam the gift of life and hopes of a healthy future.
The treatment plan for today as already changed. After rounds they were going to start Cam on Neostigmine to try to help get his bowel working again. This is a potent drug so they were prepared for all of the possible side effects. After rounds, Cameron had a large bowel movement. It looks like he is getting rid of all of the old blood that is in his belly. We are so thankful that he was able to pass this on his own. As a result, they have discontinued the Neostigmine at this time. YAY!! He still has a lot to remove, but we will take this as a step in the right direction.
Cam is going through a lot right now and he does not complain. He has been asking to have the mask removed and to have a drink of water. When we explain why the mask is important and why he cannot have water he accepts the answers and cooperates. His strength amazes me!!! Yesterday, they were able to decrease the pressure in his bipap and he was able to get a short break from the mask. Today his CO2 was higher and he was destating so they had to go up on his pressure again. It is imperative that they keep his lungs healthy. Their goal is to keep his lungs from collapsing. So far Cameron has done well on the bipap machine and has not needed to be intibated. What a huge blessing!!
We welcome visitors to keep Cam's spirits up. Please know that he looks VERY different from when you saw him a few months ago or even a few days ago. Please do not comment on his appearance other than how incredibly handsome he is. He does not enjoy the bipap mask; it is uncomfortable and it is difficult to hear what he is saying. Please be patient with him if he is trying to communicate something to you. Thank you!!
Please continue your prayers for Cameron. I know they are working. He is in a critical state, but he continues to amaze us and everyone here. He is one heck of a fighter. We are thankful that we are able to be right by his side on this journey to encourage him, to assist him, to love him.
Also, I know that we are all looking for ways to give back this time of year. I want to encourage those who are able to consider giving the gift of blood, plasma and bone marrow. Cameron would not be where he is today without the generosity of so many strangers. For that we are thankful.
Remember to count your blessings today and every day. Life is the greatest gift and we receive it one breath at a time.
December 28, 2012
Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. CameronCat is in PICU at Cincinnati Children's. He is definitely still putting up a fight. We know he loves hearing from you all. Thank you for including him the way you have in the Bengal community. He is by far THE biggest Bengal fan. Before he was sedated we discussed reaching out to Marvin Lewis to see if he wanted a junior mascot. Cam would be the perfect candidate!!
Cam would ask me to end this message with a big WHO-DEY!! Beat the Ravens!!
December 29, 2012
CameronCat is still putting up a fight. He is still critically ill but is not worse than yesterday. We will consider this a blessing and are still praying for a miracle.
January 8, 2013
January 23, 2002 – January 6, 2013
Cameron Matthew Hartman, age 10, courageously finished his journey here on the earth and truffle shuffled into the arms of Jesus.
Cameron was an avid Bengals fan, proud Elk, Phase 10 champion, grill master, Buffalo Wild Wings destroyer, animal lover, life of the party, roller coaster connoisseur and ambassador of good will.
Throughout Cameron’s life and especially since being diagnosed with DOCK8 mutation in October 2011, Cam has inspired all who knew him to seize every opportunity, laugh often, remain selfless in the midst of everything, never miss an opportunity to say ‘I love you’ and Never, Never, Never give up.
Please join Amy, Adam, Ashley, Brandon, Josh, Norman, Audrey, Ken, Sally, Phillip, Chris, Mark, Christine and Emily to celebrate Cameron’s life at Washington Heights Baptist Church 5650 Far Hills Ave, Dayton Ohio 45429.
Visitation hours: Friday, January 11th, 3-5 pm & 7-9 pm; Saturday, January 12th, 10 am -12 pm
Victory Celebration: Saturday, January 12th 1 pm.
In honor of Cam’s love for football, please join us in sporting his teams’ colors – black & gold for his Elks or black & orange for his Bengals.
In lieu of flowers, please send tax-deductible contributions to the Cameron Hartman Fund: 5650 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45429
For all who grieve for Cameron, remember his consoling words “Don’t Worry! I’m fine!”
January 9, 2013
"May God welcome Cameron to Heaven with a Black and Orange stripe jersey, and for his family and friends, May God extend his solace and mercy. God Bless you-my deepest condolences"
Thank you for your outpouring of support for CameronCat and our family. He was honored to be a member of this message board and would always share with his medical team that he was on the Bengal's site. He loved his title. He loved receiving his 'fan mail'. We watched the playoff game on Saturday. Cam's nurse made him a t-shirt for the game with a picture of Who-Dey and 'CameronCat' across his chest. While we are not sure if he could hear us, I gave him the play-by-play of the game and made sure that everyone spoke highly of the Bengals when they walked into the room. Cameron supported his Bengals - win or lose. He was a loyal fan and LOVED his team. To honor Cam and his love for life and football, he will be laid to rest in his Andy Dalton jersey that he was never able to open for Christmas. He would be wearing his Mike Nugent jersey, but it has such sentimental value to us that we want to keep it as a memory of our CameronCat. Mike came to visit Cameron in the hospital he talked about it with everyone who would listen. He looked up to Mike and all of the football players as inspiration when he was having a difficult day. Cam will also sport his Bengals hat and lay with his Bengal PillowPet. He loved life and his football team. We know he wouldn't have it any other way.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Cam's aunt, Meems
December 2, 2012
Glad to see that people are still posting to this thread. I know Cam is very honored that his story is in The Hall of Fame, He always told everyone when he was in the hospital he was on the Bengals message board and always looked forward to his fan mail. Each week when the Bengals play, I say they have a very special Angel watching over them! I am sure he has the best game day parties ever in Heaven! I had a very special Bengals jersey made it has his football number 47 and CameronCat on the back ,he loved his name you guys gave him! Thanks for all the love and support it meant alot to us! Thanks for letting my little guy be a part of your amazing Bengal family!
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