When her dad, Ronnie, handed away 5 years in the past from mind most cancers, Catherine Baker knew that in the future she wished to be ready to assist these battling the illness. Now, Baker’s non-profit, Group Ronnie, will maintain a fundraiser with proceeds being donated immediately to 2 households impacted by most cancers.
“(My dad) was at all times the primary particular person to achieve out a serving to hand to somebody in want and I wished to proceed to have that completed underneath his identify,” Baker mentioned. “I used to be solely 17 when he handed so it took a while and data to have the ability to get to the place we at the moment are, however I’m so pleased to have lastly began this.”
The Group Ronnie Golf Match was held on June 29 at Oak Knoll Nation Membership. One of many households that benefited from the fundraiser is well-known to Baker and her household. Whereas the household wished to maintain some details about their battle with most cancers personal, Baker did say she graduated with their daughter from Destrehan Excessive Faculty and even took a visit with the household to Disney World.
“They’re extraordinarily sort and humble individuals,” Baker added. “Earlier than this, I hadn’t talked to them in years however it at all times caught with me how good they have been to me so I knew I wished to assist them.”
The opposite beneficiary is Neil Hardin who lives in Belle Chasse and is battling a uncommon type of lymphoma. Hardin served for greater than 27 years within the U.S. Air Drive.
“His journey has been exhausting however he’s extraordinarily robust and is surrounded by help,” Baker mentioned. “Their story touched my coronary heart as a result of it felt so just like ours, only a healthful household being affected by one thing so horrible. His spouse, Holly, has supplemented her pay by working particulars when she will be able to however it’s so exhausting to fret about working when your husband is combating one thing so exhausting at dwelling.
“Each households are unbelievable individuals who deserve the help of their neighborhood.”
Baker is aware of what every household goes by attributable to what she and her household skilled throughout her father’s battle in opposition to most cancers.
“My dad’s battle in opposition to most cancers was not straightforward, however he would by no means admit it. It began after my mother observed he was dragging his toes throughout a household trip in Disney World and rapidly become him being recognized with glioblastoma mind most cancers on my sixteenth birthday,” Baker mentioned. “We nearly instantly knew that this wasn’t the kind of most cancers that somebody beats, particularly after he had surgical procedure to take away his tumors and the physician couldn’t get all of it.”
After that surgical procedure, Baker mentioned her father slowly declined for 17 months earlier than passing away. Watching him undergo was extraordinarily exhausting for the Baker household.
“For the reason that most cancers was on his mind it affected issues that not all varieties of most cancers impacts,” Baker mentioned. “His total thought course of and mind-set slowly modified. Over the span of his battle he grew to become extra confused and fewer like himself as a result of his mind was really altering. That was in all probability the toughest half for all of us, simply watching what it did to him and that he couldn’t management it.”
However Baker additionally remembers all of the methods the neighborhood stepped in to supply help. Dat Dad’s Membership hosted a profit on the West Financial institution Bridge Park that helped the household with fundamental dwelling bills.
“There’s no phrases for the way a lot this meant to us,” she mentioned. “My dad needed to stop his job early on and my mother finally misplaced her job as nicely due to how a lot time without work she wanted to be there for him. One thing that folks sometimes don’t take into consideration is how life goes on throughout that point when payments are due and meals must be placed on the desk.
“That’s why we’re now so obsessed with serving to different individuals which might be in the identical state of affairs.”
Baker now attends Southeastern, and has really been introduced nearer to her greatest good friend there attributable to shared tragedy.
“My greatest good friend’s dad (Matthew Howcott) additionally handed away from the identical actual most cancers as my dad. Her and I met in faculty and have become shut after realizing our lives have been so related,” she mentioned. “That they had the identical most cancers, identical remedies throughout the identical time, and her and I have been the identical age throughout all of it.
“It was simply an insane coincidence as a result of their most cancers is so uncommon and this all occurred at the very same time, the very same means and their daughters coincidentally grew to become pals.”
Whereas Baker mentioned she tries her greatest to uplift and help each households she is holding a fundraiser for, financial donations are extraordinarily vital. If you need to donate, please go to: https://docs.google.com/types/d/1Cq7-irP3yu1ki6ZVf69TnSOWHY65icb3R8dH2rri8WU/edit.
