BALTIMORE, Md. — Nearly a decade after her young son's death, Adrianne Blake is working to turn her grief into a resource for Baltimore families.
Baltimore mother is starting an organization to help families in crisis
She's in the process of launching Cameron's Haven, with a mission of supporting foster youth and families who have experienced trauma through communal living spaces.
"Cameron deserved a future, and I want other families to have the future he deserved with their children," Blake said.
WMAR-2 News first shared Blake's story in 2017 as she searched for answers following Cameron's death.
In January 2017, police found the 3-year-old unresponsive at an apartment in Essex. Medical staff at Johns Hopkins reported injuries consistent with child abuse, and Cameron died several days later.
Blake said Cameron's father had full custody of the Cameron at the time. He was arrested in September 2017.
"It was a really, really rough time for me, and I think a lot of me wanted to try to make sense of the whole thing," Blake said. "He lit up a room. He wanted to know about the world, and he wanted to make people laugh."
For years, Blake searched for a meaningful way to honor her son's life and legacy.
She said her own experiences inspired her vision for the organization.
"Both his father and I were in foster care. We met in foster care, and I just always felt like if we would've had more resources, Cameron would still be here," Blake said. "I wanted to find a way to bring that into the world in a very tangible way."
Blake describes Cameron's Haven as a community-based support system designed to help people facing instability and trauma, offering them housing and resources past the immediate need.
"Foster kids in particular and people with trauma usually lack said village," she said. "No one should have to go through trauma alone. We will be the proverbial parent to adults. I feel like that's what Baltimore needs," Blake said.
The plan is to publicly launch on January 24, 2027, the 10-year anniversary of Cameron's death.
Until then, she needs support to make it a reality, she has a GoFundme Page and more resources on their website.
