Supermom

BY LIESEL SCHMIDT

Amother's love for her child is an incredible thing, something that gives her purpose above and beyond any job, something that grows her heart and fills it with a love that is almost indescribable. For Brook Duddy, that love is what inspired her to create the BaxStrong Foundation after she lost her son Baxter to brain cancer in 2019 at the age of eight. “We send Baxter’s Smile Boxes to children fighting cancer throughout the United States, delivering boxes packed full of arts and crafts, sensory toys, and other encouraging activities to make them smile big,” she says.

The stay-at-home mother of four boys, Duddy’s world was rocked when Baxter, her oldest, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of four. “Our family and our community were there for us and helped us through our darkest days,” she says. “When Bax was fighting cancer and in and out of treatment, he would get packages in the mail and be so excited. Our community really helped make sure he knew he was loved and helped us smile! After Baxter’s passing, we knew we wanted to share his story, his love, and his smile in a way that Bax loved; but it was put on hold by our biggest surprise...our youngest being born just nine months after Baxter’s passing! He was exactly what our hearts needed to let love back in. After a few months and right before Baxter’s second birthday in heaven, our family decided to bring Baxter’s Smile Box to life. We pack these boxes knowing that we are sharing Baxter’s smile and his strength with kids that are going through what he did, and our family did. To know we are putting a smile on their faces, if even for a minute, makes us smile, as well.”

The responsibilities of running an organization like BaxStrong in addition to those she has to her husband and her three youngest has been an adjustment, but she has their support the entire way. “It’s been a lot more than I anticipated, but the reward of knowing Baxter’s legacy is growing makes it all worth it,” she says. “Our boys also love being a part of Baxter’s Smile Box, so it makes it a lot easier when your family supports you and wants something as much as you do. They see me pushing for something that I truly care about, and they know that if you truly care about something, you can help make a difference. It may start small, but it still makes a difference.”

As a mom and a working woman, Duddy has a lot to be proud of. Still, she takes the most pride—and joy—from her boys. “They make me a better mother, they teach me everyday something new, they push me, they motivate me, and they always support me. They truly make me a better person every day,” she says.

As she raises her boys, she hopes that they see her dedication to them and their family, taking that knowledge into their lives when

As she raises her boys, she hopes that they see her dedication to them and their family, taking that knowledge into their lives when they are older. And above all, she hopes they remember one thing: “That they are loved. I love them so much, unconditionally.”

As a family, the Duddys have created some important traditions. “Our family goes to Cape San Blas every year between Baxter’s ‘angelversary,’ August 10, and his birthday, September 27,” she says. “For a week, we soak up the sun, sea, and being together as a family.”

At 34, Duddy knows she still has a great deal to learn in life, but she’s also learning a great deal from her boys. “I’ve learned to slow down and take time to be present,” she says. “I’ve also learned that there is good in everything, there is always a reason to keep going, and there is always a reason to smile.”