From Hospital Room to Mission: How Parker’s Was Born
- Rebecca Eastman
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
When Parker was first diagnosed, Blina (blinatumomab) wasn’t even standard.
It was still in the process of becoming widely accepted — still relatively new, still being integrated into treatment protocols. About five months into our journey, it became part of Parker’s treatment plan.
And just like that, our world shifted again.
Blina meant continuous infusion — 24 hours a day, for weeks at a time.
A pump. Medication. Tubing. Always connected.
And my son… was still a toddler.
There Was Nothing
When we entered that phase, I assumed there would be something to help.
A backpack. A system. Anything designed for kids.
There wasn’t.
Nothing made for small bodies.
Nothing that kept the pump secure.
Nothing that allowed a toddler to move safely, sleep comfortably, or just be a kid.
And that didn’t sit right with me.
So I made a decision:
I was going to figure something out.
The First Prototypes
What started as a desperate attempt to help my own child quickly turned into something much bigger.
I began creating prototype after prototype.
Adjusting compartments.
Moving straps.
Reworking zippers.
Adding ways to secure tubing.
I called countless seamstresses, trying to find someone who could help bring the idea to life. Every version got a little better. A little closer.
At one point, I even sent a design to a manufacturer in China. I waited four months… only to realize their minimum order requirements were far beyond what I could take on.
Back to square one.
But I kept going.
Because this wasn’t optional.
When It Became More Than Just My Kid
Somewhere in the process, something shifted.
I realized this wasn’t just about Parker anymore.
If we needed this… other families did too.
Other kids were walking into the same phase of treatment with the same challenges, the same limitations, the same lack of options.
And that’s when Parker’s Pak became more than a solution.
It became a mission.
Building a Business (That I Never Planned to Build)
I had no background in business.
None.
And suddenly I found myself learning things I never imagined I would need to know — especially in a space that touches both product development and the medical world.
The list felt endless:
Starting the patent process
Creating CAD drawings
Filing a fictitious business name
Publishing it in the newspaper
Getting an EIN number
Forming an LLC for protection
Each step felt overwhelming at times.
There were moments where I thought, What am I doing?
Moments where I felt completely out of my depth.
But I kept going.
Because I knew why I started.
The Most Rewarding Part
At the end of the day, none of this is about the business side.
It’s about the kids.
It’s about the families sitting in hospital rooms right now, trying to figure out how to make life just a little bit easier during something incredibly hard.
Being able to help even one child feel more comfortable…
to move more freely…
to feel a little more like themselves…
There’s nothing more rewarding than that.
Looking Forward
I never dreamed I would be here.
Starting a business. Building a product. Sharing this story.
But I am so incredibly proud.
Proud that I didn’t stop.
Proud that I kept pushing through the unknown.
Proud that something born out of one of the hardest seasons of our lives is now helping others.
And this is just the beginning.
My hope is to keep growing Parker’s Pak — to reach more hospitals, more families, more kids who need it.
Because no child should have to stop being a kid just because they’re fighting cancer.
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