07/18/2026
It is hard for me to believe that nearly 25 years have passed since I lost my daughter Parker to a cruel and terrifying cancer.
What amazes me even more is that my love for her has only grown.
Strange how love can continue growing for someone you'll never see again.
As anyone who has experienced deep grief knows, grief changes over the years. It, well, evolves. Thinking about Parker no longer brings the searing, debilitating pain it once did.
Today, thoughts of her bring me a comfort and joy I never imagined possible.
I still wince when I think about the suffering she endured, but as the years have passed, I've become more grateful for the short time we shared and for how profoundly she changed me. I don't really think I understood what love was until she came. I didn't understand what pain was until she left.
And the memories always bring me back to Children's Hospital.
Parker, our only child at the time, died just days before her first birthday from a vicious cancer caused by a spontaneous genetic mutation. The disease it caused was untreatable then and remains overwhelmingly fatal today. But now, there are children who can survive it.
Families who find themselves at Children's Hospital facing the same diagnosis now have hope that we never had. That's another reason to be grateful.
When my son Chance came along, Children's Hospital saved his life too. At just a few weeks old, surgeons repaired a hole in his heart. More than a dozen procedures later, my 22-year-old son with Down syndrome is still causing mischief and mayhem, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Chance is the loudest, most raucous tornado of joyous chaos imaginable and, wonderfully, the worst roommate I've ever had. I love every minute with him. Children's Hospital made that possible.
I'm also grateful that people still remember my children around this time every year. Independence Institute's wildly talented graphic artist, Tracy Smith, who is an even better friend than artist, helps keep Parker's memory alive and celebrates Chance's life through Team Parker.
Team Parker is a group of Independence Institute employees and friends who pedal over the Continental Divide this weekend to raise money for Children's Hospital during the Courage Classic.
Over the years Team Parker has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars to help children like Parker and Chance.
Even after nearly a quarter-century, it still gives me shivers to think people might someday forget my beautiful daughter. One of the hardest parts of losing a child is listening to other parents casually talk about how their kids are doing. Those conversations are wonderful, ordinary parts of life, and I wish I could join them.
When someone asks, "So, how are your kids doing?" parents who have lost a child know there isn't an easy answer.
Children's Hospital exists so as few parents as possible ever have to live with that silence.
That's why I'm asking you to help.
Please take a moment to donate to Team Parker. https://secure.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/site/TR/CourageClassic/General?pg=team&team_id=7187&fr_id=2050&mc_cid=d835ac9c50
A few dollars go a remarkably long way. They help more children survive. They help fund the research and care that give families hope when hope seems impossible.
And if I'm being completely selfish, your generosity gives me the chance to talk about my kids. There was a time when I thought I'd never have that opportunity again.
So choose a member of Team Parker and throw them a few bucks.
You'll help save a child's life. You'll honor Parker's memory. You'll help keep Chance causing joyful mayhem for years to come.
And thank you. Thank you for remembering my daughter. Thank you for celebrating my son. Thank you for helping families who haven't yet experienced the worst day of their lives avoid it.
Losing Parker taught me that life can break your heart. People like you have taught me it can heal one, too.
https://secure.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/site/TR/CourageClassic/General?pg=team&team_id=7187&fr_id=2050&mc_cid=d835ac9c50
WHY WE RIDE: Team Parker rides in memory of Parker Caldara, who lost her battle with cancer just shy of her 1st birthday. We also ride for Parker’s brother Chance, who was born with Down syndrome. In honor of Chance, all funds raised by Team Parker are earmarked for the Children's Hospital Sie Cen...
