Long Beach remembers ‘Super Ty’ Campbell

Former Long Beach resident Cindy Campbell’s Oct. 22 blog entry read, “Ty’s story is far from over. I will continue to write about him indefinitely, and I hope you will all continue to share his story and invite others to follow his journey, even now. Ty’s courageous battle and unbreakable smile has made a powerful impact on so many people around the world, and I truly believe that this is only the beginning. I will never get tired of hearing people tell me how much my little boy means to them. How much his story has given them perspective.”

Ty Louis Campbell — the 5-year-old whose mother’s blog chronicling her son’s fight with a rare form of cancer gained worldwide attention — died on Oct. 17 at his home in Pawling, N.Y.

In 2010, doctors found a mass at the base of Ty’s skull, and he was later diagnosed with an extra-renal rhabdoid tumor, a rare and aggressive cancer. Cindy and her husband, Lou, a chiropractor, moved from Long Beach that year to be closer to Lou’s family upstate.

Their friend Janine Ferranti, of Long Beach, said that Cindy Campbell started a blog in which she wrote about the 200 nights spent in the hospital, and how she stayed strong during Ty’s 20 surgeries and “miraculous” recoveries. She chronicled her son’s positive attitude and courage, which earned him the nickname “Super Ty,” Ferranti said.

“At one point, around Christmas in 2011, they were told that he was going to pass away then and he miraculously recovered,” Ferranti said, adding that she would bring new pajamas and cupcakes to Cindy for the nights she spent at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “I would send things to let Cindy know that we were here supporting her, and Cindy was always so appreciative.”