Where Our Journey Started: The Day Everything Changed

There are moments in life that split everything into before and after.

For me, that moment came the day after I gave birth to my baby girl.

Only 24 hours after bringing a new life into the world, my world cracked open.

For weeks leading up to her birth, something inside me kept whispering that something was wrong with my son. My energetic, joyful, full-of-life little boy—the child who never stopped running, laughing, living—was suddenly tired all the time. He wanted to be held constantly. He wasn’t himself, and a mother always knows when something is off.

But every time I brought it up, the answer was the same:

“He has a check-up in three weeks. Just wait until then.”

Three weeks.

Three weeks is a lifetime when your gut is screaming that something is wrong.

He didn’t have a fever. He was still eating. But he was off—and the bruises… the bruises were everywhere. He was exhausted in a way no child should ever be.

Still, life kept moving. The night before he was diagnosed, we were actually on cloud nine. We had just been interviewed on the news for having a Leap Year baby. Everyone was smiling, everyone was congratulating us. The world saw a happy, healthy family.

But behind that photo—our first family photo—something darker was already happening.

Looking back now, I can see in his little face that he was sick.

The next day, we heard the words no parent should ever hear.

And suddenly the reality set in—this wasn’t something simple. It wasn’t a virus. It wasn’t “just a phase.” In that moment, I remember thinking how naïve I had been. If he had broken his arm, I would have thought it was the worst thing in the world. But when your child is diagnosed with cancer, you find yourself wishing it were just a broken arm.

You learn quickly that things can always get worse.

And for us—they did.

But here's the part of the story I need every parent to hear:

He made it through.

After 11 months of treatment—11 months of fear, strength, tears, and resilience—our sweet boy came out on the other side. He became himself again: the joyful, silly, energetic kid he always was.

And now… now he is in maintenance.

He runs. He plays. He laughs. He does all the things kids should get to do.

All because of extraordinary, life-saving cancer research.

Because of the doctors who fought for him.

Because of the treatments countless families before us helped make possible.

Because someone, somewhere, believed our children deserved better.

And that belief… became our mission.

Parker Pak was born from this journey—born from fear, from hope, and from the unwavering determination to make something meaningful out of the hardest chapter of our lives.

Our story didn’t start with a product.

It started with a mother’s intuition, a family photo, a terrifying diagnosis, and the miracle of a child getting a second chance at childhood.

And now, we use that chance to give back—to raise awareness, to support research, and to remind families walking this same path that they aren’t alone.

Because if our journey can help even one child…

One family…

One terrified parent searching the internet at 3 AM for answers…

Then sharing it is worth everything.