PARKER H BAINTER FOUNDATION

Our mission began as we spent each and every day that our son was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) by his bedside. During our three hospital stays with Parker, we began to notice that not every child was as fortunate to have their parents with them, and not every parent was as fortunate to be by their child’s side while they were in the hospital. The reasons were all different, but after so many days by our son’s side, we felt that the parents and children benefited greatly from having a family advocate with them at all times. While our story is not one with a happy ending, we hope that we can carry on Parker’s legacy by helping other families spend as much time as possible with their children, while they are in the hospital. Decisions are made quickly in the PICU. It is our belief that a parent ensures optimal care from both family and medical staff. The Parker H. Bainter Foundation was established to help support families with children in the hospital. The Foundation does this by donating gifts to the children, offsetting expenses associated with having a child in the hospital (from parking, dining in the cafeteria, time off from work, or transportation to and from the hospital). It all adds up. In most situations, it is not an expected or predicted expense and one that can quickly consume a family’s savings account. The Foundation also raises overall awareness in areas that impacted Parker’s life such as donating blood and information regarding his medical condition.