In
1991, Parent to Parent of Vermont was the recipient of a grant awarded
by Tim and Tanya Baker, parents of Brookes Baker who died in 1988 at
the
age of eight. Tanya, Brookes' mother, worked
as a social worker at Howard Mental Health Services and later as
Program
Coordinator here at Parent to Parent of Vermont. She now lives in
Albuquerque,
N.M.
where she is a Project Developer at Parents Reaching Out (PRO).
Brookes had Cystic Fibrosis, a genetically inherited disease that seriously affected his respiratory and digestive systems and necessitated a heart-lung transplant. Brookes received his new heart and lungs at Johns Hopkins Hospital. At that time, he was the youngest recipient of this transplant.
Initially, Brookes appeared to be doing well and left the hospital three weeks after the transplant in time for his eighth birthday. For weeks following his transplant he was able to realize two of his dreams: to laugh again without coughing and choking his breath away, and to meet one of his idols, Brooks Robinson. His death was a sudden and catastrophic event that no one was prepared for.
Because it did not appear that Tim and Tanya's insurance would pay for the transplant, they spent months raising funds for the operation. Following Brookes' death, it was their wish to donate the remaining funds to organizations providing support and assistance to families with children who have special needs. Parent to Parent was fortunate enough to be the recipient of $50,000 from these funds, creating the Brookes Baker Family Support Fund.
It is the hope of Brookes' family that dreams are realized through this fund. The mission of the Fund is to respond to family identified needs that cannot be met by another individual, agency, or organization. The initial $50,000 was invested with a designated portion of the interest earned available to Vermont families whose children have a chronic illness or disability.
Whenever financially possible we direct all Parent to Parent staff honorarium to the Brookes Baker Family Support Fund for direct distribution to families. All direct contributions made to the Brookes Baker Family Support Fund are distributed to families after review by the Brookes Baker Family Support Fund Committee.
Memorial contributions are often made to the Brookes Baker Family Support Fund. If you are interested in making a donation (which is tax deductible where allowed by law) and would like more information, please give us a call at 1-800-800-4005 or 802-764-5290. We have requests from many more families than we are able to fund.