The
Cameron Elliott Olson Foundation
A NJ based Non-Profit 501 (c) 3
Our Mission
Our mission is to support organizations which provide services for individuals with autism and related disabilities to enrich their lives and independence. Our mission is to memorialize the legacy of Cameron Elliot Olson through our foundation and our support to others.
Our Story
Cameron Elliot Olson was born on July 31, 1996. He was diagnosed with Autism and Fragile X in February of 1999. Throughout all his years, he was our greatest teacher. He was both challenging and most rewarding – as any parent of a child with special needs would understand. He was and is “our angel”. We often referred to him as my angel on earth because we truly believe God sent him here to teach our family lessons about life and love. And he did. And now he is our angel in heaven. On July 15, 2023, Cameron was struck and killed by a truck while he was sitting in his favorite spot PA waving to people and cars and giving his signature peace sign or his thumbs up. Two weeks shy of his 27th birthday.
Cameron loved everyone and everyone loved him. He loved to greet people and make them laugh. He loved to help people and make them feel good. When asked what he wanted to be, his answer was, “a doctor”. And when asked why, his answer was, “because they make people feel better”. Although becoming a doctor probably wasn’t going to be a reality, he would have been just as happy to work in any restaurant. He would often say when out at dinner, “I want to work here” which was because he loved the thought of being the greeter and welcoming them to "his" restaurant. One of his other favorite's would have been to work in a hotel lobby helping people find their way. And often when we went on vacation, he would end up in the lobby assisting people as they arrivedand helping them find their way.
So many people helped him, and we believe he wanted to pay it forward.
Cameron had so many teachers, therapists, specialists and school administrators involved in his education and life skills from a very early age – early intervention before full time school and intense tutoring and therapies throughout his school years. These wonderful people were so inspiring to us. We were drafted. They were enlisted. They had a choice. We are and will forever be grateful for their service and we will continue to do what we can to support the work that they do to enrich the lives of others through their dedication and compassion. They helped give Cameron a better life experience even in the toughest of times. They helped to teach him how to cope with the difficulties he sometimes faced. They helped him regardless of the situation.
Now all we can think to do is continue to pay it forward on Cameron's behalf and help those who help others through funding organizations that provide assistance to children and adults with special needs.
Get Involved
The lifetime cost of supporting just one person with autism can range from $1.4 million to $2.4 million, with factors as varied as lost wages, residential care and special education driving up expenses, a new study has found.
Lost wages are a critical driver for the lifetime cost of autism, as parents leave work to care for their autistic children and adults with the disorder fail to find or maintain employment. Other major factors include the expense of special education for children and residential care for adults.*
*Resource: CBS News - By Dennis Thompson
Your tax-deductible donation helps organizations who provide services to individuals with Autism and related disability. We could not do this work without the generous support of our donors and corporate partners. We thank you and hope that you will continue to support our mission.
