The name for House of Parker Preschool was inspired by a wondrous child I never had the privilege of meeting. We will always remember Parker's name and message. We will celebrate and honor him. Our preschool is committed to educating the community and spreading awareness, hoping no other child or family suffers this loss.
If you ask anyone what they remember him by, it would be his passion for baseball, a sport he attended before he was born. It would be his curiosity, how he questioned everything and wanted to know what made things work. They would remember his sweet, kind, gentle personality that would only come out to the ones he was most comfortable with. Most of all, people would remember his smile. The one that lit up an entire room the second you saw it. See, Parker was only 3 when we lost him, but he was born for a reason. He came here to show us how to be selfless and how to think about others. He came here to teach us to never stop being curious about the world and everything around us. And to always explore. In the words of Parker “When the sun comes out, it will be a great day.” He loved hiking and new adventures. And he adored spending time with the ones he loved the most.
It was a cold day in February on the morning he was dropped off at preschool. Just like every other morning his mom brought him to put his things in his cubby, gave him a hug and a kiss, then sent him on his way. Little did anyone know it wasn’t an ordinary morning. It was a morning that ultimately changed the entire future for Parker’s family. Just a few hours later, his mom got the call that brought the world to a screeching halt. “Parker was found in the brook. He’s in the ambulance on his way to the hospital.”
The next 29 hours would be the longest, most unendurable, agonizing time humanly imaginable. The ambulance transported Parker to Central Vermont Medical Center. There, staff worked tirelessly, doing CPR and trying to bring him back to a normal body temperature. It was two hours before they got him stable enough to transport him via ambulance to a hospital better equipped to handle the support and care Parker needed.
At the University of Vermont Medical Center, he was cared for in the ICU. Eventually, he was stable enough to be given a CAT scan. The doctors and nurses knew the chances were slim, but still, they gave it everything they had. Parker fought for a long time. He was too little to bear the trauma he had endured. He passed away with everyone he loved surrounding him. And a piece of everyone there went with him that day.
It wasn't until later that the family learned the details, about how and why this tragedy happened. It went like this. That afternoon Parker’s grandmother arrived to pick him up, but he was not there. At that moment, the staff realized they hadn't seen Parker for hours. The last teacher responsible for him realized exactly where Parker was last. He ran out the door, down to the brook, and pulled Parker out of the water. He started CPR himself. Not only was the preschool over on numbers that day, but the employee in charge of Parker’s group sent Parker and another little girl back to the school, by themselves. They only sent a text to notify the other teachers these two children were on their way back. The little girl made it, Parker did not. And somehow, he went unaccounted for; for hours. It was complete, irresponsible neglect that resulted in the loss of this sweet little boy's life.
House of Parker Preschool believes all childcare providers must exercise the highest degree of protection with children under their supervision. To ensure their safety and prevent any other tragedies.
