The Children's Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF), The Lovemark Foundation, Mia's Miracles Foundation, and the Susan Beris, MD Fund for the Yale Brain Tumor Surgery Program are excited to partner to provide hundreds of free copies of books from the Parker Book Series. The organizations will distribute these books to children's hospitals nationally to help children and their families understand and discuss childhood brain tumors and their impact.
Many children have questions about their brain tumors and the surgeries and treatments that may follow. We understand providing answers to young children about brain tumors can be difficult. The Parker Book Series are child-friendly stories about a bear, Parker, and his family. They explain both medical and emotional situations. The first of the series, “Parker’s Brain Storm,” focuses on brain tumor surgery, while the second adventure, “Parker's Water Tube Ride”, helps explain hydrocephalus. The Parker Book Series will be expanding to discuss other aspects of the effects of a brain tumor diagnosis, including seizures, learning changes, and relationships with friends and bullying. The books will all have Spanish editions.
"We're excited to have Parker and his friends help young people understand very complex medical situations," says CBTF's President, Stacia Wagner. "When a child is diagnosed with a brain tumor or hydrocephalus, life changes quickly. Children feel different than their friends and do not understand the changes. Parker offers an explanation that children can understand. We are fortunate to partner with Dr. Jennifer Moliterno, the creator and author of the Parker series. We appreciate the generosity, passion and dedication of The Lovemark Foundation, Mia's Miracles Foundation, and the Susan Beris, MD Fund for the Yale Brain Tumor Surgery Program to make sure every child who needs Parker has access to this free series."
“We could not be more excited to partner with these amazing organizations and have us all come together for the good of others. By providing these books to patients and families in need, we hope this makes a tough situation just a little bit easier. Giving back is exactly what this foundation is all about, so we are extremely grateful for any opportunity to do so,” says the President and Founder of The Lovemark Foundation, Tiva Lovemark.
“To be involved in a program that speaks to children and families in a loving and understandable way about topics that may otherwise be uncomfortable and complicated lies close to our hearts,” says President and Founder of Mia’s Miracles Foundation, Maria Ochoa. “We are beyond thrilled to partner with such incredible foundations whose common goals are to love and support children and families going through difficult circumstances. Dr. Jennifer Moliterno truly wrote these books from a place of love.”
"I am thrilled to expand on the first of the Parker's series,"Parker's Brain Storm," which I wrote and illustrated and CBTF published many years ago. I am grateful for the support from these amazing foundations," says Dr. Jennifer Moliterno, a leading brain tumor neurosurgeon and Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology in the Department Yale Neurosurgery, Co-Director of the Yale Brain Tumor Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Associate Professor of Yale School of Medicine. “I was honored to partner with a very talented medical student, Trisha Gupte, who created all of the current illustrations for these books and so excited for children to read them.”
“Parker helped me understand all of the things my sister was going through with her brain tumor,” stated seven-year-old Judd after reading both books.
If you or your organization are interested in obtaining copies of the Parker Book Series, please visit www.cbtf.org. With the intent to continue to provide these books free of charge to children and their families, we appreciate your support of the Parker Series. Donations may be made towards the republishing and distribution of the Parker Book Series at www.cbtf.org.
More About Our Foundations
The Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation
CBTF was founded in 1989 by dedicated parents, physicians, and friends and is now the nation's leader in quality of life programs for families with children affected by brain and spinal cord tumors. CBTF supports families from the time of diagnosis and throughout the brain tumor journey. Money raised by CBTF funds vital brain tumor research through the Children’s Brain Tumor Network located at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, scholarships, conferences, retreats, and support groups for patients, survivors, and their families. You may find more information about the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation at www.cbtf.org
The Lovemark Foundation
The Lovemark Foundation is a non-profit organization established to financially and emotionally support those dealing with brain cancer. Founded by PGA professional golfer Jamie Lovemark and his wife Tiva, The Lovemark Foundation has donated nearly half a million dollars to patients in need. Rather than funding research, we provide direct and tangible resources to patients and their families. Your donations help them navigate their individual journeys by covering mortgage expenses, buying wheelchairs, providing transportation to and from appointments, and much more. www.thelovemarkfoundation.com
Mia’s Miracles Foundation
Founded by PGA Professional Golfer Camilo Villegas and wife Maria Ochoa, Mia's Miracles Foundation provides small blessings with significant impacts, bringing smiles and positivity to children and families facing challenging circumstances. This vision of Mia's Miracles Foundation is that all children and families receive access to reliable resources and a supportive network that leads to a hopeful future. Since its launch, Mia's Miracles Foundation has devoted resources to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, FL, and many organizations in Colombia, providing vulnerable children and families with assistance to ease the burden of financial hardships and emotional stress during difficult times. www.miasmiracles.org
Susan Beris, MD Fund for the Yale Brain Tumor Surgery Program
Dr. Susan Beris, a well-loved Connecticut pediatrician was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent an awake craniotomy performed by Dr. Jennifer Moliterno. She was so grateful for the tremendous care she received that she started the “Susan Beris, MD Fund for the Yale Brain Tumor Surgery Program.” Part of her substantial donations have supported the publication of these books, combining her lifelong love of helping and comforting children with a more recent passion for raising awareness about brain tumors. Dr. Moliterno oversees this fund at Yale University.