The pastel tulle tutu fanned out over her sweet bare feet, worn over her onesie. She smiled, not just with her mouth, but with her nose and eyes. It was a day of ones — of firsts. The number one on Claire Parker’s first birthday outfit forever memorialized a day of celebration. The family gathered around the birthday girl, gifts for her special day, and the personalized birthday bear cake resembled many first-year parties. At a passing glance, the wooden decking on which she sat and the railing behind her might belong in a park. You can almost hear children laughing as they swing higher and higher and whoosh down the slides.
But a closer look reveals Claire and her family gathered in the courtyard of Duke University Hospital. Instead of the excited calls of children playing, it’s the voices of other patients and their families who’ve stepped out to feel the sunlight and soak up the outside world before retreating into a reality they’d all rather escape. And yet, for the Parker family, it was a retreat. No matter how brief and where it was situated, the gathering felt like a celebration of love — a moment to cherish in a time of great uncertainty.
Claire and her parents, Connie and Jordan Parker, had called the hospital home for nearly six weeks before Claire’s first birthday. A diagnosis of Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia changed everything with the words, “Your daughter has cancer.” Ten months of chemotherapy and other treatments and the roller coaster of remission and relapse culminated in what her parents describe as her complete healing into the arms of Jesus.
But her short life shone a bright light and continues to impact countless lives today.
“Claire was full of life and had an infectious personality. She loved people. She made the hospital her home and didn’t mind being there,” said Jordan.
The Parkers’ first days in the hospital following Claire’s diagnosis were disorienting. Like most families, they arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs.
“Our first few days were a whirlwind. We were quickly transferred to Duke Hospital, and when things were finally getting settled, I stepped out to get a cup of coffee and couldn’t even find my wallet. You are thrown into a cancer diagnosis not knowing anything you’ll need,” Connie shared.
It wasn’t long before the Parkers knew they wanted to ease the burden of other families facing pediatric cancer by providing the hospital with necessities for getting by in the days following the initial diagnosis. The idea for Claire’s Care Box was born. Soon after her passing, they established the Claire Parker Foundation. The care box was their first outreach.
Connie said, “It’s a survival kit. When you get hit with pediatric cancer, it’s earth-shattering. We wanted to provide some support for when their world has just been ripped out from under you.”
Claire thrived on being prepared. Like many children, she found comfort in her pacifier. Her binky was no exception, as her stash proved. Providing items that soothe and comfort the pediatric intensive care patients and their families is a natural extension of Claire’s love of people and her smart, strong personality.
“Claire kept a bucket for her binkies. She always switched them out for a fresh one, sometimes keeping one in each hand,” Jordan recalled.
The first boxes went to Duke. According to the foundation’s website, Claire’s Care Box holds a stuffed animal to comfort the child, two handmade pillowcases to make the hospital feel like home, hygiene items for the parents, a journal for reflections and note-taking, foundation information, and a $100 gift card for gas and food expenses. The response to the boxes was overwhelmingly positive.
“When we started with the care box, we thought it would go to one hospital, but it was received well and quickly spread to hospitals around the region,” Jordan said. “Over the next few years, the relationships with hospitals grew, and as that trust was built, we began to meet with hospitals and ask them about their specific needs. Every product we have developed has been based on those needs.”
Other boxes soon followed. The Creative Therapy Bag provides adolescent and teenage patients with tools for artistic expression and escape. The Birthday Box provides hospitals with items to celebrate the child on their special day. The End of Treatment Box celebrates the last day of chemo with an autograph pad, a camera to celebrate the day, a special bell to ring and keep, and a commemorative patch to sew on a blanket or other special item. The Family Care Cart delivers easy access to snacks and drinks for families and their children while undergoing treatment. The Grief Support Program is offered to families entering hospice and continues for years after the death of a child.
The Claire House project recently emerged as a natural extension of the Parker family’s commitment to helping others. Recognizing the potential in abandoned homes around their community, Jordan envisioned renovating these blighted houses, selling them, and using the proceeds to fund the foundation’s work with children battling cancer. Local contractors and volunteers rallied behind the initiative, transforming neglected structures into symbols of hope.
Each renovated home revitalizes the neighborhood and provides essential resources for families facing challenges similar to those Claire and her parents had endured. The Claire House project became a powerful way to honor Claire’s legacy, turning empty houses into vessels of healing and support for those in need.
“Claire’s very short life had a purpose. It gave us an immediate purpose, too, and gave us a way to stay connected to pediatric cancer since it was such a big part of our lives,” said Connie. “God is good all the time. We are good now because God is good. Our identity is not rooted in cancer — it is rooted in Him.”GN
