Cameron Wadman

For the past 25 years, many people in the Corvallis area and beyond were touched by the presence of Cameron Wadman. Cameron was born to Sandra and Theodore Wadman on Dec. 15, 1986. Within a year it was clear that Cameron had cerebral palsy, which meant he would not ultimately learn to talk or walk, and would need full-time care all of his life. In spite of his challenges, Cameron optimized his life experience with the gifts he was given. Cameron enjoyed everyone he saw and gifted many with a heart-melting smile. From an early age, his care providers learned noises and activities that made him belly-laugh until the room was filled with everyone’s tears of laughter. Assisted in the swimming pool, he learned to hold his breath and swim like a dolphin. The standard in Cameron’s house was that you were allowed a TV in your bedroom only if you had no Bs, Cs, Ds or Fs in school. Cameron always met that standard. He breezed through 21 years of school, attending both Corvallis High School and Crescent Valley High School, offering his lessons to all the special bus drivers, teachers, administrators and assistants he encountered. Cameron was the world’s No. 1 fan of the music artist Raffi. He made sure everyone around him had the opportunity to (or was forced to) memorize his favorite Raffi songs. Cameron often lay quietly on his bed for hours, listening to Raffi, looking at his outstretched hands, gazing at his decorated ceiling, and swinging his legs, which usually were dangling over the edge of the bed so he could breathe a little better. This was his time for shaping the universe in his favor. His brothers, Jared and Luke Wadman, marveled at Cameron’s skill at attracting beautiful, usually feminine, spirits into his life to be his companions and care providers at school and at home. Cameron always surrounded himself with people who loved him. Always. Few spirits have attained such mastery. Family members Kira and Theodore Wadman, Sandra Wadman, Jared Wadman, Lucas Wadman, Sasha King and Sonja Stahl were selected to be his first-string care providers and beneficiaries of his lessons. Countless others in the Corvallis school system and community played a part in Cameron’s daily orchestration. Unburdened with speech, Cameron was a gifted teacher of wide-ranging life lessons. His brother Luke wrote: “Growing up, he showed me how to enjoy the hell out of your music no matter what other people think, to never compromise on getting your favorite thing (whether that be the DVD player or the particular noisemaker he had), and to always laugh even when faced with the biggest challenges and adversity ... Life is too short to hold a grudge, be unhappy or complain when there is a whole world of excitement out there waiting for you and the people you love to enjoy it.” Cameron made those around him rich, demonstrated superhuman strength, and endured extreme physical suffering to continue his mission as long as he could. His spine twisted as he grew. His ability to breathe was affected by his physical condition and declined in the last few weeks. Cameron completed his mission here early enough that most of his extended family members and friends, too many to mention individually, survive him. He was born into the Ed and Bonney Shideler family (now based in Bend) and the Ross and Peggy Wadman family (Portland). Only Cameron’s grandfather, Ross Wadman; his uncle, Scott Shideler; and cousin, Ryan Shideler, preceded him in death. One of Cameron’s recent friends, upon hearing Cameron had died, was inspired to write these words, titled “Cameron’s Spirit Is Love”: “Thank you for bringing Cameron into my life. “When I entered his room to say hello, he would shake with joy and invite my spirit to meet and play with his. “His body, though frail, was just the right form and size to contain a loving spirit. He wasn’t gifted with a body large and powerful enough to battle with insecurities, ego, greed, selfish and aggressive actions, regret. “Just love. His body contained only love. “Through the dangling mobiles twirling from his bedroom ceiling, one by one, Cameron invited us all to look upward. “And see what he fixed his eyes upon 24 hours a day. Cameron invited us to see through his eyes, through his ceiling, beyond Wild Rose Drive and Corvallis, into the celestial wonder of being alive. “His enthusiastic shaking body and radiant smile reflected back to us the best versions of ourselves. “Thank you, Cameron.” A life celebration for Cameron will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at his home in Wild Rose Studios, 965 N.W. Wild Rose Drive.

Tributes

Cameron Wadman

December 15, 1986 - October 15, 2012