Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy got most of the attention last Friday at the 3M Open. The rookie dove head-first into the water off hole 18 during a charity tournament.
But back on the 18th green, two-year old Cameron Olson was the real star, sinking putts with an ear-to-ear smile.
Aside from his oxygen tank, the playful toddler is just like any other kid. He loves sports, music and his big sister Kennedy.
At daycare, his 50-foot oxygen tube allows him to explore, climb and run around with his friends.
“I don’t think the other kids even notice the tank anymore,” said Kelsey Olson, Cameron’s mother.
When Cameron was 17 days old, he was admitted to the M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital with a respiratory illness. He was released a few days later but never fully recovered and was losing weight.
The family ultimately decided to take him to the emergency room for more testing when he turned 2 months old. He spent a full week in hospital before being diagnosed with a rare respiratory disease called Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease, chILD. The hospital became a home away from home for the young family as Cameron made 13 visits over next 10 months, including several trips to the clinic.
Dexter, Cameron’s dad, set up a temporary office at the hospital so he could work and be with his son during the day, while Kelsey would take the night shift. Her profession as a nurse practitioner in pediatric oncology was helpful in navigating the disease but admits there were many structural challenges in Cameron’s treatment and care.
“We had a great family support system, “said Kelsey. “But because his disease is so rare, it was a struggle to find information and resources.”
Cameron’s specific form of chILD is called Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia of Infancy (NEHI). It is non-lethal but will affect Cameron for several years. It was only first identified in 2005 and he is just one of two kids to ever be treated for it by his care team at the U of M hospital. What made it more challenging was all the complexities of the medical and insurance systems.
“I don’t want other families to feel like they’re alone,” said Kelsey. “There’s such a gap for kids and families fighting this disease.”
With Cameron doing well, Kelsey and Dexter decided to launch the CamO Fund whose mission is to provide support for patients and families with chILD, as well as to increase advocacy and raise awareness. The CamO Fund has partnered with the University of Minnesota Foundation with aspirations of becoming their own 501c3.
The 3M Open Charity Challenge raised more than $100,000 dollars for the U of M Foundation and gave the CamO Fund a big platform to help spread awareness.
“Dexter and I were both raised to give back and there’s so much we want to do,” said Kelsey. “Something as simple as paying for hospital parking can mean a lot when you’re going through this.”
Part of that philanthropic spirt was instilled by Kelsey’s father, Travis Kaste, a long-time 3M employee. Travis would stay with Cameron at the hospital so Kelsey and Dexter could catch a break and has been a pillar of support in his grandson’s life.
“I grew up a 3M kid,” said Kelsey. “They have provided my family with so many wonderful opportunities. It’s truly amazing to see all of our worlds come together like this to support the CamO Fund.”
The community support for Cameron has been a shining example of how the 3M Open is about much more than golf.
It’s Golf That Matters.
