eBay, the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation (TLC), and the Muddy Puddles Project have teamed up to bring you the “Peppa Pig Celebrity Auction,” benefitting kids and families affected by childhood cancer.
Cindy Campbell’s son, Tyler, was diagnosed with severe brain cancer just before his third birthday. “When children are diagnosed with cancer, it’s not always as understood as adult cancer,” said Ms. Campbell. “There are very few options out there for treatment, and sometimes there are a lot of issues with new treatment options.”
Ty was hospitalized for two and a half years, undergoing treatment the entire time, before he passed away just after his 5th birthday.
According to Ms. Campbell, the unpredictability of child cancer as well as its case-by-case nature makes it difficult for large organizations and charities to pay attention to discovering treatments or researching solutions. “A lot of times it’s up to the small nonprofits like ours, because we can focus on the small, important problems that others can’t,” she said.
The nonprofit Campbell refers to is her own organization, named for her son, the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation. “We were really overwhelmed by the support we received when Ty was in treatment for two and a half years; and, when the money started coming in, a 501(C)(3) felt like the best option to continue his legacy,” she said.
She continued: “You go on social media, and you realize there are so many families in the same boat as you, and everyone is asking the same questions.”
While Tyler was sick, he and his mother turned to TV to keep him engaged. Says Campbell: “TV was his lifeline. It’s what kept him happy. Peppa Pig was one of his favorite shows. Peppa and George loved to jump in muddy puddles.”
When asked towards the end of his life what he wanted to do most when he was healthy, Ty responded: “I want to jump in a muddy puddle.”
The answer, says his mother, was undoubtedly a reference to his favorite TV show and the impact it had on his enthusiasm, resilience, and demeanor while he was ill. As word spread about Ty’s ambition to jump in a muddy puddle, Peppa Pig was made aware and reached out about a collaboration.
Introduced to eBay for Charity some three years ago by a friend, Campbell was impressed by the platform’s reach and ability to effectively raise both funds and awareness for different initiatives. The platform seemed a natural fit for an auction to raise money for TLC.
After working directly with the Peppa Pig creators, Ms. Campbell was able to create a one-of-a-kind eBay for Charity auction that her son would have loved. Best of all, celebrities who also have children that are fans of Peppa Pig show have graciously donated signed books, t-shirts and other memorabilia with 100% of proceeds going to TLC.
Campbell hopes that TLC continues to grow Ty’s legacy and help those children and families affected by childhood cancer. “This should be a reminder to parents everywhere to remember to let kids be kids. Let kids be kids in Ty’s honor,” says Campbell.
“The Peppa Pig Celebrity Auction” ends on Monday, August 29th at 8:00am PST.