#cameronstrong Week ~ June 26-July 3
**WARNING: SENSITIVE NATURE** MaryRoseMedium.com
Tomorrow marks the final week of my son Cameron’s life here with us.
A year ago, after being by his side during 30 days hospitalized at Northwestern in Chicago, we flew Cam directly from the hospital to Fort Myers, Florida - per his wishes. He was transferred from RSW to Gulf Coast Hospital for an overnight stay, then transferred to my home under Hope Hospice care. Within 3 days, Cameron agreed to be placed into their hospice facility, where he passed within hours.
That week was the hardest of my life - of our lives - and somehow, it was also one of the most sacred. I was completely emptied. I knew I had to keep going, because my son—my firstborn—was walking through something no one should ever have to endure. And I still couldn’t fully believe it would be the end.
I followed his transport and when I walked into Hope Hospice (Cape Coral), a nurse greeted me who once had worked at the Children’s Hospital in Miami, where surgeries like Cameron’s had just begun, years ago. She told me he was the oldest Fontan heart patient she’d ever known. Her eyes lit up to meet him, and for a moment, a flicker of pride in the middle of sorrow. A light to carry us all. What were the odds of her being Cameron’s nurse?
As she showed me the kitchen, I saw a person quietly place a large pot of hot soup on the counter. She gestured to it gently and said, “This is for you. The volunteers bring soup every day—for the caregivers. There’s coffee, tea, baked goods in the fridge… all for you.” And she poured me a cup of hot coffee.
Right then, I gripped the counter. Because in that moment, for the first time in a month, someone was caring for us. The ones walking beside the one we love. The ones who couldn’t save him, and surrendered to peace.
That moment lives in me. It always will.
So in Cameron’s honor, I’m inviting you—if you feel moved—to do something small and sacred:
🫶 Find your local hospice. Bring soup. Bake something. Drop it off. Label it: #cameronstrong.
That phrase has carried us all year. To be “Cameron Strong” isn’t about grit. It’s about gentle awareness, deep faith, bravery and kindness that stretches far beyond understanding.
This will now be an annual tradition during the week of Cameron’s expansion. One week each year to pour kindness into the world in his name. But if you feel called to do it more than once—all year long—please do. There’s no wrong time to care for someone who’s caring for someone else.
This isn’t just a tribute. It’s a movement.
One pot of soup at a time.
One cookie.
One note that says “We see you.”
One sacred moment that says, even in the depths of grief, there is still grace.
If you choose to join us, thank you. From the heart of a mother.
From Cameron.
From his brother and sisters, partner and friends; all of us.
If you may or may not know, I began writing The Little Book of Big Grief for my children, after their oldest brother expanded into God’s loving arms. I wanted them to have something they could hold onto - something that might help them understand me better, especially if I wasn’t here to explain it myself. I truly didn’t think my heart would keep beating.
As I moved through the pages of the book, writing from the rawness of loss and the love that never ends, I felt it come to life. And when I finished, I knew it needed to go beyond our walls. I’m so grateful for those of you who have purchased, read, and reached out to me about it. Your love has carried me more than you know. Thank you.
#cameronstrong Week is June 26–July 3. I’ve created a #cameronstrong page within my website for us to remember, reflect, and to teach. This space (link below) will be live tomorrow, but you get a sneak peak now!
Thank you for being here for me and my children, even when I don’t have all the words.
Live well,
Mary Rose