The Camille Fund Honors the Life and Legacy of Camille Dreyfuss
October 10, 2025
From an early age, Camille Dreyfuss had a way of putting people at ease. She noticed those who often went unnoticed and invited them in with her warmth. “Camille was especially adept at drawing people in who otherwise would float under the radar and not be seen,” recalled her father, Tony. “But it was because she had a genuine interest in them.”
Her mom, Karen, added, “She would ask questions with genuine curiosity, often leading with a compliment. And people responded to that. She just made others feel comfortable.”
A Journey of Courage
When Camille was six, she was diagnosed with an untreatable arteriovenous malformation (AVM) — a tangle of blood vessels deep in her brain. For much of her childhood, the AVM didn’t affect her daily life. But as she grew older, AVM began to cause physical challenges that eventually limited her mobility and speech.
Even as her health declined, Camille’s connection with people remained constant. “At the end of her life, when she couldn’t walk or talk anymore, her two nurses still wanted to be with her,” Karen shared.
Supporting Others and Seeing the Unseen
After Camille’s passing in December 2024, her family began searching for ways to keep her spirit present. They found comfort in simple weekly rituals, spending Sundays doing something she would have loved. But they also wanted to create something lasting, something that could extend Camille’s gift of connection to others.
That’s how the Camille Fund was born at Madison Community Foundation.
“When we were going through this, we really benefitted from all the support we got as a family,” Tony said. “But we also discovered the gaps. Camille’s illness was so unique to her that there wasn’t really peer support — not for her, and not for us. We all could have benefitted from connections with others going through something similar.”
Through their donor advised fund, the Dreyfuss family hopes to help others facing similar gaps, supporting programs that will help ease the journey through a difficult medical diagnosis for other families. They also plan to support programs that foster kindness, and uplift children through the arts — the things that mattered deeply to Camille.
“Raising money for the fund will give us opportunities to bring people together,” Tony said. “Giving the money away lets us carry forward the things Camille valued.”
A Legacy of Caring
The Camille Fund is more than a memorial. It’s a way to keep her spirit of curiosity and connection alive for the benefit of others. For her family, it also transforms grief into action, ensuring that Camille’s life continues to spark kindness and creativity.
Her best friend, Leigh, reflected, “Camille’s loss is one felt throughout the community, but the community’s gain by having her for as long as we did was even greater.”
Through the fund, that gain continues — a lasting reminder of Camille’s light and a permanent source of support for others.
