Cam

A loving person who only wanted to make people smile, so he could smile. Cameron “Cam” Wilder would go door to door when in a new neighborhood and locate every other kid that lived there. No one was ever excluded from his circle of friends. He loved baseball, and the stage. His beautiful voice, and acting skills, warmed the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to witness him. His sense of humor always entertained others but under the laughter hid depression. He wanted people to treat each other as equals, to live their life to the fullest, dream big, hug each other, and make someone smile every day. Cam had two speeds: wide open and stop. He did not long for this outcome, but he couldn’t disguise his pain any longer. At the age of 17, on September 8, 2013, Cam took his life. His family has created the LiveWilder Foundation to change people’s thinking and eliminate stigma that surrounds mental illness. It is a disease. A disease that needs to be treated like any other disease. It’s time to talk about suicide.

This portrait received funding to go home to his family. A copy of Cam's portrait will continue to travel with the exhibit.