Wellington Moms On A Mission For Families With Chronically Ill Children
Casey Cares
When Jen Sherry and Kristina Bostwick met 11 years ago through the Mom’s Club of Wellington, they realized immediately that they were destined to become friends. Both came to Wellington from big cities — Sherry from Baltimore and Bostwick from Chicago.They each have four children of similar ages, and both know what it’s like to be the mother of a child with serious medical needs. Their bond deepened through their children’s illnesses, comparing notes on doctors and treatments and being each other’s source of strength. Sherry’s daughter has epilepsy, which is under control thanks to her current medications, and Bostwick’s son is a healthy high school senior after having open heart surgery as a young child. Their shared experiences made them realize how important it is to have a network of other parents who can relate to having critically ill children. “That’s what gets you through — other families to talk to who are dealing with the same challenges,” Sherry said. Their desire to help others made them the perfect volunteers to help launch the Casey Cares Foundation in South Florida and serve as Champion of Children honorees for its inaugural “An Evening with Casey Cares” event on Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Breakers West Country Club. The Casey Cares Foundation was founded in Baltimore by Casey Baynes, who was inspired by working at children’s charities to create her own nonprofit focused on providing special ex-
Jen Sherry and Kristina Bostwick have taken the lead in supporting Casey Cares in the local area.
periences for families with a child who is fighting a life-threatening disease that requires frequent hospitalizations. For some, the family events may be the only reprieve from hospital stays and doctors’ visits. For others, they may be one of the last events they will attend with all family members present. When Baynes looked to Florida to expand, she called the one friend she knew would make it happen — Sherry. And she called the one friend she knew would be right there at her side — Bostwick. “When Casey asked if I could help, my first though was ‘Yes!’ My second
thought was Kristina would be a perfect partner,” Sherry said. It was not only Bostwick’s experience as a mother, it was also her background as a neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric nurse and the can-do attitude she had as PTA president at Panther Run Elementary School. Sherry knew that her friend would understand how meaningful Casey Cares would be to Wellington and the entire South Florida community. “It was very special that Casey recognized the most important thing is the family unit,” Bostwick said. “If you can provide a little stress relief and respite, wellington the magazine | february 2020
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