- November 23, 2024
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Melisa and Dan Fulling sit in Cameron Fulling's bedroom, which honors his memory with fire department gear and articles about their spirited son who died of cancer in April. Photo by Paige Wilson
Cameron Fulling stands among firefighters. Photo by Paige Wilson
Cameron Fulling had a contagious smile, said his mother, Melisa Fulling. Photo by Paige Wilson
Cameron Fulling's ashes sit in a fireman urn. He was named an honorary firefighter. Photo by Paige Wilson
Melisa and Dan Fulling started the Live Like Cameron Foundation in honor of their son Cameron who died of brain cancer at age 9. Photo by Paige Wilson
A wall of patches from fire stations honors Cameron Fulling. Photo by Paige Wilson
Cameron Fulling loved firefighters. Photo by Paige Wilson
Cameron Fulling never left his Palm Coast home to go to the hospital without making sure his parents packed him a set of soft, fresh bed sheets. It would make all the difference to him as he battled cancer for seven years, spending countless nights in hospital beds. The sheets were often fireman themed and would add a piece of home to otherwise bleak hospital rooms.
While he was diagnosed in 2010, Cameron “never let cancer slow him down ever,” said Melisa Fulling, his mother. She said he always had a contagious smile as he visited local and out-of-state fire departments, which was his favorite passion.
When Cameron died on April 6, 2017, just before his 10th birthday, Melisa knew she wanted to create a nonprofit to continue impacting lives like Cameron did.
“He had the best spirit,” she said. “He was never upset, never angry about cancer. He was always so happy. So, everybody always would comment about how he’s inspiring because he was always so happy.”
The Live Like Cameron Foundation will hold its first fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Florida Agricultural Museum. The craft fair will include games, barbecue, raffles and photos with Santa. There will also be toy collections for Sadie’s Stockings Toy Drive to be given to children with cancer in Jacksonville, and monetary donations will be accepted for another child’s local blanket drive.
“Just from experience, we know, above and beyond the bills, how expensive it can be just traveling, stuff that’s not covered by insurance, eating out, staying the night (in a hotel),” Melisa said.
Eight children in Flagler County who are either in cancer treatment or in remission will benefit from the fundraiser.
“Along the way, we’ve had people help us the entire time, so I just felt like it was our time to do something,” said Melisa.
She said the foundation hopes to raise as much money as possible at the fundraiser to help the eight families. In 2018, they want to help more families in Flagler County, and eventually they’d like to expand to Volusia County.
“When you have a child with cancer, someone typically can’t go back to work,” said Dan Fulling, Cameron’s father and the vice president of the Live Like Cameron Foundation. “Some of them are single-parent families dealing with this while they’re trying to balance work. And any way you can help them, whether it’s Publix gift cards or gas cards to get back and forth, it just helps them because you have to take so much out of your life to help get your kid back and forth to treatment.”
Next April, around Cameron’s birthday, Melisa hopes to make care packages for families dealing with childhood cancer. The basket would, of course, include a set of clean sheets — just like Cameron liked.
The foundation hopes to hold a 5K and a golf tournament in the coming year, and LiveLikeCameron.org will be up and running by the start of 2018, if not sooner, for people to donate.
