April 15, 2025 • 32 mins
Fearlessly Facing FUNDRAISING! I love sharing incredible stories of amazing people - and at this stage of life we often find ourselves with a bit more bandwidth. And maybe this story and this incredible organization will ignite something in you. Meet Casey Baynes, Founder of The Casey Cares Foundation.
Casey Baynes founded Casey Cares Foundation at age 21 after hearing a child say "I wish I had cancer" while volunteering at a hospital, recognizing the need to support ALL critically ill children regardless of diagnosis.
• Founded over 25 years ago, Casey Cares has helped over half a million critically ill children
• Unlike traditional wish organizations, provides ongoing support throughout treatment journey rather than one-time experiences
• Focuses on entire family unit including parents and siblings who are often overlooked
• Creates normalcy through simple activities like movie and pizza nights, pajama deliveries, and group events
• Offers palliative care approach that improves treatment outcomes by up to 70%
• Continues supporting families after treatment ends, including bereavement services
• Every 12 minutes, Casey Cares helps a participant in their program
• Annual "Biggest Pajama Party" on April 16th raises awareness and collects pajamas for hospitalized children
• Operates primarily east of the Mississippi with headquarters in Baltimore
• Small contributions and volunteer efforts make meaningful differences - "It doesn't take a lot of zeros to give back"
Visit caseycares.org to learn how you can help critically ill children and their families through volunteering, donating, or connecting them with Casey Cares services.
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Ready to FEARLESSLY FACE all the F WORDS – be inspired and encouraged?
Get a copy of Amy’s Best selling book: CANNONBALL! FEARLESSLY Facing Midlife and Beyond here
Fearlessly Facing Fifty and Beyond has over 200 episodes with inspiration and stories to age fearlessly and connect confidently to others thriving at midlife and beyond.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, fearless Friends , it's Amy Schmidt and welcome
back to another episode of theFearlessly Facing 50 and Beyond
podcast.
I'm excited for this episode.
You know what?
There are so many things thattug at our heartstrings at
certain times of our lives.
We know that.
We know that there are certainorganizations and certain things
that you say.
You know what?
I wanna be involved with this.
Well, I recently learned aboutan organization called Casey
(00:23):
Cares, and today my guest isactually the founder.
That person at age 21,.
A little spark ignited in CaseyCares Foundation was ignited
right there, right then, andyou're going to hear the story
behind the organization.
So this is for all of you thatare wondering hmm, I have a
little extra time, or maybe Ihave this gift of you know,
(00:45):
sorting through letters, writingletters to people, maybe
sorting through gifts, maybe allsorts of those things, and you
have a little extra bandwidth.
This is just for you.
So stay tuned for the seriesF-Words, and this one is
Fearlessly Facing Fundraising,as we meet the one and only
Casey Baines.
We meet the one and only CaseyBaines.
(01:12):
Hey, fearless friends.
Well, welcome to our episode.
Today.
I have with me Casey Baines.
Welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me.
You know we just met.
We sure did.
I can't wait.
I know it's so much fun and itwas all through connections and
I think that's so valuable forpeople listening and watching
around the world today thatconnections are key.
Women are connectors, we'renurturers, we're achievers,
(01:34):
we're all of that, but at theend of it, we thread together.
These stories and theseconnections become this
masterpiece, and that's why Ifeel like you know you're
sitting here today heading up anorganization, a foundation
called the Casey CaresFoundation that I want to learn
more about and I want tointroduce to the world.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, thank you for having me and being open to
learning all about the CaseyCares Foundation.
It's hard to believe that westarted over 25 years ago 25
years and it all started outbecause I was I have a family
trucking and warehousing alogistics company Okay, and so
I'm very involved with that.
It's been around for 170 yearsand I was working with my dad
(02:10):
and my brother, even mygrandfather at one point.
I mean, how cool is that?
Okay, that's pretty cool.
And to start at such a young ageto run an international company
, it was quite a dream.
But I was brought up Catholic,okay, and so we always had to
volunteer and give back.
The real story is is when youdidn't make it to church, you
(02:32):
had to get your butt to a soupkitchen, to a hospital, to
somewhere, and it stuck.
Even if I did make it to churchthat week, I still made it a
part of my.
Exactly so.
I was in the hospitalvolunteering and got
chit-chatting with the family,and this little boy was the
biggest race car driver fan.
He loved NASCAR.
(02:53):
How young he was probably sevenyears old, okay, and that is
just.
I mean, all seven-year-old boyslove trucks, but this kid was
really into it.
And so he, you know, aftertalking to him, all he wanted
was to meet a race car driver, areal race car driver, and so
that stuck with me and I waslike you know what, I can try to
make a couple calls.
So, as luck would have it, theNASCAR circuit was coming to
(03:17):
Dover Downs and they had a racecoming up.
Was able to connect with thedriver who two days later walks
into the hospital room in hisfull jumpsuit.
Two days later he made thishappen.
The timing was just perfect andthe full jumpsuit the hood of
his car.
Which did you know?
Race car drivers are kind ofbuilt like jockeys.
(03:37):
Yeah, they're little right.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Tiny yeah.
They're like little pocket pals, of course, and I don't mean
that offensively, but they are.
They're little, they're tiny.
I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So the hood of his car looked really, really big,
like you wanted to give him ahand, you know.
So all this magic is happening.
I mean, tears are flowing,there's just so much joy and
excitement.
And as the volunteer I kind ofback away and you know the
curtain that divides the tworooms.
I hear a voice on the otherside say curtain that divides
(04:06):
the two rooms.
I hear a voice on the otherside say I wish I had cancer.
Maybe I would get cool stufftoo.
And at this point I was 21 yearsold and I was like what, who
wishes for cancer?
I had to see for myself whowould wish for cancer.
So as I walk around the curtain, I poke my head and I see this
mom, like making a human shieldbetween her boy and what's going
(04:29):
on over here.
And at that moment I becameobsessed, obsessed with helping
all critically ill children.
He didn't want cancer, hewanted somebody to wrap their
arms around him and say dude,we've got you, got you.
And that's how Casey Caresbegan.
Just one little boy wishingthat he had cancer.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And you were 21.
Yeah, wow, that's prettyincredible.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It's crazy and people are like, wow, the insight you
had, I didn't have any insight.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, I was going to say.
I mean, I always ask peopleyour passion and purpose, is
that that moment for you, isthat when that intersected?
It was like, okay, this is mything, yeah, but you still don't
even know that that's happening, Like you still don't.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I've always been a high performer.
I graduated college before highschool, Like you know, that's
always been, yeah, that's alwaysbeen my.
So I didn't know what I wasdoing.
Right, Like a lot of things inlife, you know you do one thing
and then I'm like, oh, I'm goingto help this little boy who
wish he has cancer.
And then they told somebodyelse.
And then I was like, oh, I'mgoing to help a couple more kids
(05:32):
.
This is, this would be great todo for them.
And that's how Casey Carestarted One family and five
families.
Then, before you know it, wehave helped over half a million
critically ill children Half amillion, that's nuts Nationwide.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
We're east of the Mississippi, east of the
Mississippi, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So think about it like this I mean, people are
like oh, why aren't you national?
We could be, but we're not afor-profit industry, Right?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Our mission is to never say no to a critically ill
child, and in 25 years we'venever denied the request of a
critically ill child.
So to us that's true success.
That is a wish.
It's a little like make a wishin some ways.
I mean, you heard that and itwas like, okay, I'm going to
have this happen.
And you made it happen in twodays, which is incredible.
Incredible resources andincredible just that
relationships you must have.
It's relationships.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's relationships.
It's about connections andabout I mean, you know all about
connections, right, it's a muchimportant thing, it is, and you
have that embedded trust.
Like you said, we just met, butthrough our connections there's
already this start, thisrapport, and that's so important
(06:57):
.
And I think that's where we'vehad so much success at Casey
Cares, because it started outwith the one family and then,
before we knew it, we're likegosh.
There's a real need, because atCasey Cares we don't help just
the critically ill child, butit's the mom, the dad, the
brothers, the sisters, becausewhen a child is diagnosed with a
critical illness, the ripplesof that diagnosis are felt
throughout the entire family andin a different way.
(07:19):
So we want to be sure that wecan be there for each and every
one of that family, of thatfamily unit, and that's so
important to us, because myhusband is from a family that
had three siblings that hadjuvenile diabetes just very rare
.
I mean.
Think back to the 70s and 80spancreatic transplants, unheard
(07:39):
of All of these things where weare like, oh, juvenile diabetes,
that's manageable.
Now, it wasn't that, it wasn'tright.
So he understands.
He was the healthy child, soeverybody else was focused on
the sick kids.
Yeah, and he had baseball.
He didn't get his baseballchampionship game because
somebody was in crisis.
So that's what our connection iswith helping the siblings and
(08:02):
helping the moms and dads.
His family did an awesome joband the best they could do, but
they didn't have supportiveprograms like AC Care.
Right, we help families frombirth to age 18 and even after
the child loses their battle oris in remission, and that comes
because my family lost.
I had a brother that died andthe impact that that makes for a
(08:25):
lifetime.
It's not a hard year, it's nota hard five years, it's a
lifetime.
It's a lifetime.
And so we're there to connectwith their families and help
them build a new future, a newfuture without their love, and
that's it really is about thoselittle moments and lasting
moments in life.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah.
So I want you to walk me backto that moment at 21, then that
you did this, you know, and nowsomething, the spark is ignited
and you're like this is what I'mgoing to do.
What, what's next?
What did you do next?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well, so we started with these, the families, and we
wanted to give them things,because in the hospital there's
not a lot of glorious things youcan do in the hospital.
There's just not.
And so you hear about all thesewish-granting organizations
which are amazing, and we telleverybody to use them, use them,
use them.
But let's think about likeisn't it great to have something
to look forward to every monthor every week, versus that one
(09:21):
big vacation?
And imagine if you're vomiting,if you feel like absolute crap
and you can't get out of bed.
How excited are you going to beto go to Hawaii?
Probably not real excited.
Oh, by the way, your doctor'sprobably not even going to let
you go, right?
Oh, and your parents?
They've probably already missedso much time at work that can
you imagine going in and beinglike hey boss another week off.
(09:43):
What do you mean?
You just missed a week lastweek.
So KC Cares has really gone inand talked to the social workers
, the families, the kids.
What do you guys want?
What do you need?
And that's how we built ourprograms.
So, from our life cycle is thatwe started out with doing local
activities because the familiescould do it.
(10:05):
What they would do is if theywere on their way to clinic.
You know, I mean, we're parents, this is what we do.
We're going to give you areward.
You're really good at this.
We're going to go, take you tothat, right, and so that's what
we did.
That's how it started out.
You have a really goodtreatment.
You want to go to the baseballgame, and guess what?
We're going to get you down onthe field so you can watch
(10:25):
batting practice.
Well, so then little Johnny islike okay, okay, I'm scared
because they're going to do aspinal tap and this is terrible,
but I'm going to go to thatbaseball game.
Like, those are those littlecarrots that we were dangling to
help these families get throughit.
We do movie and pizza nights athome because these families,
(10:46):
their immune system, arecompromised, and but when we
first started doing it.
Yes, we knew their immunesystems were compromised.
We didn't have the funding.
We could do movie and pizzanight for 50 bucks, you know.
Get the local pizza shop todonate three or four pies and
the guests and the rentals.
It's all very affordable.
But it's actually what thefamily needs, because they can
(11:09):
get together and they can have afun night at home.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Distractions, fun that's it Some normalcy?
Yes, if there is such a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Because a lot of times families and we all know
this from things that weexperience in our life, even if
we don't have a critically illchild when there's real sadness,
you wonder is it okay to behappy, is it okay to smile Like
I'm still really sad?
Yes, you can.
You can have moments of joy,you can have moments of light.
But a lot of times the moms,the dads, are so stressed
(11:41):
they're just trying to put onefoot in front of the other.
They don't have time to thinkabout an at-home movie and pizza
night.
They don't have time to thinkabout oh gosh, if we just had a
puzzle.
So we're going to send surprisedeliveries to the families at
the hospital or at home of games, of puzzles, of art projects,
of seeds, seeds, Planting things, to watching things grow, wow,
(12:04):
and to go through differentstages.
It means so much to ourfamilies who are going through
so many different stages andphases.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Can't even imagine Boy.
That's really incredible andit's so custom tailored and so
special and so unique.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
So unique and it's, but it's yet very simple.
We do so unique and it's, butit's, yeah, it's very simple.
We do group parties Once amonth.
We do group parties.
We bring everybody together andagain, remember, kc Cares helps
all critically ill children.
So think cancer, think sicklecell, think undiagnosed children
, think of complications, of youknow we used to have a lot of
HIV positive kids, but sciencehas come so far.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I'm sure you've seen so many, so many, I mean so much
innovation.
But so we have group parties.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Because these families used to have their
friends.
They used to be the soccer moms, right, or they used to be
their friends from school, buttheir kid's too sick, they don't
go to school anymore, the kidcan't play sports anymore.
So these friendships, you know,people do their best and they
do meal trains, but you start tolack these common threads.
So KC Cares provides a venuefor families to get together.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
The kids are playing laser tag and the parents are
sitting there havingconversations yes, and the
beauty is support system foreach other yes and they have
different diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So it's not like you're seeing somebody and being
like, oh gosh, our future'sgrim.
Not at all.
You're there and supporting andtheir child might be on a
breathing machine and nobodycares.
Right Another child may bevomiting, you know, running out
the door really quick.
Everybody's all hands on deck.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Let's help them, because they're going through
this Common threads, becausethey're going through this
Common threads Weaves togetherthis masterpiece of people that
are all.
It's a community.
I mean, that's a community andthat's what we need.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It's an amazing community and we continue to
find things.
For instance, we had a mom whocalled.
Early on in the stages of thecreation of KC Cares, we had a
mom call.
We were talking about anactivity that we were
coordinating for her daughterand she was just chit-chatting
about her daughter's turning 16and how this isn't actually how
she thought it was going to goRight.
(14:08):
And she started to say that atschool people are making fun of
her because she had a glob ofhair that fell out on the desk
and the shock and this.
It was just a horrible,horrible episode.
And plus she's sick, plus she'sdoing her best to pull herself
out of bed in the morning to getto school.
And I got off this phone soangry at what these other
children were piling on top ofwhat this little girl was
(14:30):
already going through.
Yes.
So we ordered two dozen rosesand had it sent to her high
school and we didn't sayanything.
Happy sweet 16.
That's what she was calling usabout, because we were
coordinating something else.
And happy sweet 16, thinking ofyou, that's it.
We sent it to the front desk,you know, to the school, didn't
hear anything and you knowyou're like, oh, we overstepped,
(14:52):
we went a little too far.
And a couple of days later wegot a call and the mom was like,
was it you?
Was it you?
Terrible call to get.
And I was like, oh hi, yeah,kind of Right.
And she's like she went fromeverybody making fun of her at
school to being the most populargirl because she told everybody
it was from a college guy thatshe met.
(15:13):
There you go, that's perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, that's.
Yeah, it's those little moments.
It's those little moments thatthey cherish.
Yes, wow, so have you had somedays that have been really tough
?
I mean, you've seen so muchloss in 25 years and grief,
sadness, how do you keep going?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
It's wicked, yeah, it's wicked, it's wicked and it
is.
I have three children.
Yeah, it's wicked, it's wickedand it is.
I have three children.
I started Casey cares um in2000 and I had my first child in
2000.
Okay, so the kids are alwayslike oh, that was your first,
that's your first child.
Um, it's so much loss and it is, uh, unforeseen loss,
(15:55):
unimaginable loss.
I mean the loss that justleaves you in total agony
Because you've establishedrelationships with these
families.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yes, I mean you've had those conversations and then
all of a sudden somethinghappens.
It's got to be very challengingfor you.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
But we focus on what we can control.
We focus on the fact that KCCares is all about palliative
care and there's so much scienceout there that says when you
are enrolled in programs like KCCares, it increases your
response.
The positive outcomes improveby like 70%.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Can you define palliative care for us?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we are there to support the soul, the spirit,
the person, and so that way youare primed to receive the
medicine.
Your body is open, your mind isopen and you are saying let's
do this.
I'm ready to fight, my body'sready to fight because we're
taking care of that person, thatfamilies their spirit and their
(16:55):
mind, and we're giving them areason to live.
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It's amazing.
I mean at 21,.
You started.
I mean that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Again, I had no idea what I was doing.
I was a little annoyed that Iheard somebody wish to have
cancer and I didn't want thatever to be spoken again, and
that there was such a unmet needto help all critically ill
children.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
And when you say palliative care, now is this in
the hospital setting?
So is it?
You're partnered with hospitals?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, we're partnered with all of the hospitals.
But you could even say to mehey Case, actually I have a
girlfriend whose granddaughteris trying to figure out what's
going wrong with them.
They don't know, maybe it'ssome kind of fantastic.
Fill out an application.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
And we make it easy.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Okay, yes, Okay, Because you know, do you
remember back to those schooldays when you got all these
papers to fill out at thebeginning of the school year?
Oh yeah, Imagine when your kidhas a critical illness, that the
forms you need to fill out aregut wrenching, Like it's just
too much, too much.
So KC Cares makes it reallyeasy.
We have a one-page form thatyou fill out.
(18:03):
You get it into us Within 48hours.
We're going to get back to youand probably Within 48 hours 48
hours and with that in your mailyou will have a movie and pizza
night.
You will probably already bereceiving a care package of new
pairs of pajamas, whether you'reat the hospital or at home,
because anything we can do tomake you a little bit more
comfortable, a little bit morenormal, that's what we're going
(18:26):
to do Right, so you partner themwith organizations, sponsors.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Is that who provides the, say pajamas or say whatever
it is for that, or how doesthat work?
The?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
amazing community in which we all live is how that
all works.
So we partner with hospitals,but anybody could know a
critically ill child and just goto our website, fill out the
application online, which I'llhave on the episode notes.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So everybody will have the website, so they can
just reach out.
Okay, perfect.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
And.
But a lot of their referralscome from social workers because
they're in it.
You know they're in thetrenches so they can really
refer.
All the children need arefrequent hospitalizations to be
dealing with a critical illness,and frequent hospitalizations.
Again, think about KC Cares, asmake a wish on steroids,
because it's not just once in alifetime, it's not once a year,
(19:13):
but it's continuously throughouttheir treatment process and
even after.
Like we said, we havebereavement groups which focus
around yeah, walk me throughthat after.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I'd be curious how that support continues.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
So, to be honest with you, some families say thank
you so much.
We appreciate it.
We can't do this.
We have too many memories, it'stoo hard for us, and we get
that and we stay in close touchwith them because maybe they'll
want to come back to us in ayear.
Right, you just never know.
You never know, you never know.
But then we have other familieswho little boy Jonathan, he lost
(19:49):
his battle and there's such adear family, such a dear family,
and they, after Jonathan losthis battle, they, after Jonathan
lost his battle, we sent themto the beach and afterwards she
called and she's like it was themost amazing family trip we've
ever had and I was likeinterested that she used the
(20:09):
word family and she said it wasthe first time since his loss
that we actually felt together.
He was with us the entire timebecause that was their special
place, that's where they wentand she's like we could feel him
and that was healing for them,wow.
And so we have moments likethat.
And then we also have likesupport groups that people can
(20:31):
join, and the cool part aboutour support groups is that
they're online, so you can befrom anywhere, and what I mean
about that is the siblings Againmine, so you can be from
anywhere.
And what I mean about that isthe siblings Again.
We have some brothers andsisters who are away at college
and they still join thosesupport groups.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And they're not.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
It's not religious based it's not um, you know, as
far as like an illness based,it's all about talking about
sharing memories of the goodtimes they had, a lot of times
that Casey cares provided forthem.
So that's the common threadthat they all come together and
can share, because that's whatthey want to do is they want to
keep their loved ones alive.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And they'll always be alive in their minds and their
hearts.
But they want to talk about itand share the stories Wow.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So what do your kids think?
I always ask amazing women likeyou.
I don't know.
Do your kids think I always askamazing women like you?
You know, I don't know.
You had one, born in 2001.
So my youngest is 2003, 1997,99 and 2003.
And I always ask you know, howdo your kids view you?
You know, what would they say?
How would they describe you?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I don't know if I want to hear what they'd say but
, you know I can share with yousome things like I will never
forget, when my my youngest atone point said to me mommy, if I
was sick, would you spend moretime with me?
That stinks, that really stinks.
(21:52):
So I was.
I went to Casey cares every dayas if it was my job.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You know I was just so passionate about helping
these families because they arein a fight for their lives, for
their child's life, right andgosh.
You know you do anything foryour kiddos and so sometimes you
need help.
You need help in doing thatbecause you're just so depleted
and I felt like I could helpthem and help and support them.
So that's hard is to hear thatfrom your kids.
(22:23):
Yeah, but coincidentally, ourdaughter, our youngest, was
diagnosed with rheumatoidarthritis when she was 13 and
unfortunately misdiagnosed,because I was told that I was
surrounded by all these sickkids and I'm projecting on her,
as it turns out, not so much.
So she has been on treatmentpart of the treatment and that
(22:47):
is chemo for over 10 years andshe is now 23 years old and she
went out to the real world andrealized that that wasn't her
passion.
She wanted to make a differenceand she wanted to make an
impact, to try to make the worlda better place day after day.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
So- Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
So now she runs Ohio and Florida for KC Cares so it's
so amazing to have her part ofthe Casey cares family.
But her bedside manner isincredible to get to know, like
her understanding of to hear hertalk about the paint on the
walls of where she would gettreatment is this weird green
mint color.
(23:28):
She was 10 years old but she'slike that's what these kids are
thinking about.
Let's give them things todistract them.
She just has a really differentRight but she's like that's
what these kids are thinkingabout.
Let's give them things todistract them.
She just has a really differentapproach, so that's awesome she
should be very proud.
It's awesome to have her a partof what we do day in and day out
and making us better.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
So when you talked about your family, business and
brothers and grandpa and all ofthat, if I were to have them in
the room sitting right now, youknow, sitting here and ask them
is this just how Casey alwayshas been?
Has she always been just agiver and a server and she just
wants to help?
What would they say?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean like that's just when you, when
you peel it back and you takethe time to look and to see
you're like, oh, absolutely,maybe a pleaser, like oh yeah, I
always want everybody to behappy and to be fulfilled and to
make sure they're living theirbest.
The best version of themselves.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Your energy is so contagious, it's so great, it
just exudes just passion andlove and you can just tell it,
it just comes out of all of yoursoul, everything.
It's just wonderful beingaround you and just seeing how
much you're passionate aboutthis.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
You see these families, and they are in the
worst, they are in the worstpart of their journey, and yet
they're so grateful and they'reso giving and they're so
positive.
So if they can be that way,heck, what's wrong with the rest
of us?
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Exactly you know and I'm hoping that getting the word
out about this.
Some people may already knowabout KC Cares, Some people may
not.
Some people may have a neighborthat has a critically ill child
and they don't know what to do.
How many times do you have thatwhen you're like, oh, I wish I
could help, I wish I could dosomething.
I wish I could understand.
Well, that's what you're herefor.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
That's what you're here for and I would encourage
people to get involved.
It doesn't matter if it's withCasey Cares, which would be
amazing and wonderful, right,because there's nothing better
in my world than to help acritically ill child and to also
step up and help these moms anddads, because I've had moms
come to me in full tears sayingI couldn't help my kid, I
(25:30):
couldn't make my kids smile, Icouldn't give my kid a, I
couldn't make my kid smile, Icouldn't give my kid a good time
.
And you stepped in.
You're like the favorite aunt.
You know they get all excitedwhen there's a message or a box,
a delivery from KC Cares.
But I would encourage people toget involved, whether it's with
the elderly or animals.
Anytime you get involved and togive back.
I promise you you personallywill benefit way more than any
(25:55):
one person you help.
It's contagious.
So true, it is just and there'sways to get help, whether it is
like right now, like Caseycares.
We have our the biggest pajamaday.
So we celebrate PJ day likenobody else.
We encourage local businessesto get out there.
We have people on the weatherchannel You'll see them in their
(26:15):
PJs broadcasting to celebrateNational KC Cares Biggest Pajama
Party when is that?
That is April 16th, okay.
And everybody gets involved,whether it's kids going to
school in their PJs or kidscollecting PJs.
So it's important to get ouryounger generation giving back
and they can understand what afavorite pair of PJs.
So it's important to get ouryounger generation giving back
(26:35):
and they can understand what afavorite pair of PJs means to
them.
Imagine what a favorite pair ofPJs means to a kid who is sick
in the hospital, is stuck in astiff hospital gown and all of a
sudden they get their favoritesports team PJs or their
favorite cartoon.
It's amazing.
And guess what?
There's a pair there at thenurse's station for brother, for
(26:56):
sister, for mom, for dad.
How cool, because I was notlooking forward to go visiting
my sibling in the hospital,right, but now that I get
something fun, let's go, that'samazing.
It's so fun.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
So everybody gets involved.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
They post their pictures on social media and tag
KC Cares.
But it's real.
We all can appreciate a cozypair of pajamas and a difference
that makes in a life is prettyincredible, pretty incredible.
It doesn't take a lot of zerosto give back and I think people
have that misunderstanding $25,.
(27:29):
A new pair of pajamas reallyadds up and makes a difference.
Yes, that's huge.
Every 12 minutes at KC, careally adds up and makes a
difference.
Yes, that's huge.
Every 12 minutes at Casey careswe're helping a participant and
we couldn't do it without thegenerosity of our communities,
the generosity of gettinginvolved and you know,
participating in the PJ day,getting involved in volunteering
and help coordinating a groupof people who are passionate
(27:51):
about our mission right, or justcoming into the office and
helping us do a mailing so manyways to get involved and there's
so many wonderfully talentedpeople out there that have the
time and the bandwidth to give.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
And they need to step aside from fear.
A lot of people listening.
You get 50 or beyond and you'relike I'm not needed anymore, I
don't need to do this.
I don't know what to do, Idon't know what my identity is
anymore.
Step into volunteering, youknow.
Go in and help with the mailing.
So your different officelocations will be on your
website too.
Yes, and where are all theoffices?
(28:24):
Too many to list.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Well, our headquarters is in Baltimore,
maryland, in Baltimore, okay,and but.
But there's so manyopportunities across east of the
Mississippi, right, and yes,please don't be fearful.
We don't have time for fear.
These children have a smallwindow and we need your help,
and so there's so many ways toget involved.
Tell us what you like to do,what you're good at doing, and
(28:46):
we'll find a way, you'll plugthem in somewhere.
We'll plug them in.
I mean, it's a nonprofit.
We all wear so many differenthats.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And that's so great because that's a community too.
Yes, so for somebody listeningor watching right now and this
is like wow, I think I could.
I think I could help Help.
That's what you're, you know,that's that's all you need to do
Pick up the phone, send anemail, whatever it is.
If you know somebody that's acritically has a critically ill
child or is struggling with thatjourney right now, reach out.
This is the perfectorganization.
(29:13):
So I'm so happy that our pathscrossed.
Now.
This is viewed kind of aroundthe world and you know, all over
the country, but there is anevent coming up in Sarasota
where we are broadcasting fromright now.
So just fill us in on that realquick.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
So this event is for the ladies, so we're encouraging
all the ladies to come out.
It is a fashion show.
Yeah, so fun, and it is goingto be so much fun.
We are going to have greatfashions for folks to get to
freshen up their wardrobes, butreally to come together to
support the critically illchildren in our community.
And then, once the fashionshow's over, the DJ is going to
(29:48):
start his mix.
Oh, that's the best.
The ladies are going to havetheir dancing shoes on and it
are going to have their dancingshoes on and it's going to be a
really fun night to celebratelife, because, you know, it
truly is a gift and we need tolive every single day.
Because there's so many peopleout there I mean, we think about
the kids in our programs whothey used to do their running on
the soccer fields or on thebaseball diamonds, and now their
(30:11):
running's done in the corridorsof a hospital.
We need to come together togive them, because their
childhood is condensed into afew short years and we've got to
fill it with everything we can,and it's events like this
fashion show that will enable usto do so.
Right, that's the support youneed.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
That's so fabulous.
So before we leave today andI'll have everything in the
episode notes for everybody Iwant to ask you the question I
ask everybody on the podcast, soyou're not even ready for this.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I don't know, we didn't talk about it, but I know
you're going to just nail it.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Let's see Casey.
If you were sitting on thecouch and you look over and
there's Casey at 30, what advicewould you give her?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I would probably tell Casey sit on the couch, because
I don't know if I've ever saton the couch, but I would tell
her it's okay.
(31:08):
It's okay, it is a process andyou are not always going to do
it the best at first and it'sokay.
And it doesn't matter whatSally thinks or what Jenny does.
It's your own path and thateverybody should be supportive
in that path.
So surround yourself with thepeople who will support you,
even when you get off the path alittle bit.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
I love that.
That's great advice.
Isn't that crazy when you thinkof yourself at 30, like,
looking over, I can see Amy at30.
And it's like wow.
I just go over, give her a bighug and say it's all going to be
okay.
Yes, you know, it's all goingto be okay.
You're doing amazing things.
Thank you, casey Baines, forbeing here.
Casey Cares Foundation willshare everything in the episode
(31:48):
notes.
Please reach out, get involved.
This is how we build community.
Reach out, get involved.
This is how we build community.
This is how we support eachother.
So, fearlessly, step into this,whatever it looks like for you,
and thank you so much for beinghere.
Thanks for having me.
Thanks so much for listeningtoday.
We know how valuable your timeis and that's why we keep it
short and sweet.
Don't forget to follow us onall the socials, and you can
(32:08):
check out all the links andresources in the show notes.
Until next time, go forth andbe awesome.
Hey, fearless Friends , it's Amy Schmidt and welcome
back to another episode of theFearlessly Facing 50 and Beyond
podcast.
I'm excited for this episode.
You know what?
There are so many things thattug at our heartstrings at
certain times of our lives.
We know that.
We know that there are certainorganizations and certain things
that you say.
You know what?
I wanna be involved with this.
Well, I recently learned aboutan organization called Casey
(00:23):
Cares, and today my guest isactually the founder.
That person at age 21,.
A little spark ignited in CaseyCares Foundation was ignited
right there, right then, andyou're going to hear the story
behind the organization.
So this is for all of you thatare wondering hmm, I have a
little extra time, or maybe Ihave this gift of you know,
(00:45):
sorting through letters, writingletters to people, maybe
sorting through gifts, maybe allsorts of those things, and you
have a little extra bandwidth.
This is just for you.
So stay tuned for the seriesF-Words, and this one is
Fearlessly Facing Fundraising,as we meet the one and only
Casey Baines.
We meet the one and only CaseyBaines.
(01:12):
Hey, fearless friends.
Well, welcome to our episode.
Today.
I have with me Casey Baines.
Welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me.
You know we just met.
We sure did.
I can't wait.
I know it's so much fun and itwas all through connections and
I think that's so valuable forpeople listening and watching
around the world today thatconnections are key.
Women are connectors, we'renurturers, we're achievers,
(01:34):
we're all of that, but at theend of it, we thread together.
These stories and theseconnections become this
masterpiece, and that's why Ifeel like you know you're
sitting here today heading up anorganization, a foundation
called the Casey CaresFoundation that I want to learn
more about and I want tointroduce to the world.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, thank you for having me and being open to
learning all about the CaseyCares Foundation.
It's hard to believe that westarted over 25 years ago 25
years and it all started outbecause I was I have a family
trucking and warehousing alogistics company Okay, and so
I'm very involved with that.
It's been around for 170 yearsand I was working with my dad
(02:10):
and my brother, even mygrandfather at one point.
I mean, how cool is that?
Okay, that's pretty cool.
And to start at such a young ageto run an international company
, it was quite a dream.
But I was brought up Catholic,okay, and so we always had to
volunteer and give back.
The real story is is when youdidn't make it to church, you
(02:32):
had to get your butt to a soupkitchen, to a hospital, to
somewhere, and it stuck.
Even if I did make it to churchthat week, I still made it a
part of my.
Exactly so.
I was in the hospitalvolunteering and got
chit-chatting with the family,and this little boy was the
biggest race car driver fan.
He loved NASCAR.
(02:53):
How young he was probably sevenyears old, okay, and that is
just.
I mean, all seven-year-old boyslove trucks, but this kid was
really into it.
And so he, you know, aftertalking to him, all he wanted
was to meet a race car driver, areal race car driver, and so
that stuck with me and I waslike you know what, I can try to
make a couple calls.
So, as luck would have it, theNASCAR circuit was coming to
(03:17):
Dover Downs and they had a racecoming up.
Was able to connect with thedriver who two days later walks
into the hospital room in hisfull jumpsuit.
Two days later he made thishappen.
The timing was just perfect andthe full jumpsuit the hood of
his car.
Which did you know?
Race car drivers are kind ofbuilt like jockeys.
(03:37):
Yeah, they're little right.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Tiny yeah.
They're like little pocket pals, of course, and I don't mean
that offensively, but they are.
They're little, they're tiny.
I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So the hood of his car looked really, really big,
like you wanted to give him ahand, you know.
So all this magic is happening.
I mean, tears are flowing,there's just so much joy and
excitement.
And as the volunteer I kind ofback away and you know the
curtain that divides the tworooms.
I hear a voice on the otherside say curtain that divides
(04:06):
the two rooms.
I hear a voice on the otherside say I wish I had cancer.
Maybe I would get cool stufftoo.
And at this point I was 21 yearsold and I was like what, who
wishes for cancer?
I had to see for myself whowould wish for cancer.
So as I walk around the curtain, I poke my head and I see this
mom, like making a human shieldbetween her boy and what's going
(04:29):
on over here.
And at that moment I becameobsessed, obsessed with helping
all critically ill children.
He didn't want cancer, hewanted somebody to wrap their
arms around him and say dude,we've got you, got you.
And that's how Casey Caresbegan.
Just one little boy wishingthat he had cancer.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And you were 21.
Yeah, wow, that's prettyincredible.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It's crazy and people are like, wow, the insight you
had, I didn't have any insight.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, I was going to say.
I mean, I always ask peopleyour passion and purpose, is
that that moment for you, isthat when that intersected?
It was like, okay, this is mything, yeah, but you still don't
even know that that's happening, Like you still don't.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I've always been a high performer.
I graduated college before highschool, Like you know, that's
always been, yeah, that's alwaysbeen my.
So I didn't know what I wasdoing.
Right, Like a lot of things inlife, you know you do one thing
and then I'm like, oh, I'm goingto help this little boy who
wish he has cancer.
And then they told somebodyelse.
And then I was like, oh, I'mgoing to help a couple more kids
(05:32):
.
This is, this would be great todo for them.
And that's how Casey Carestarted One family and five
families.
Then, before you know it, wehave helped over half a million
critically ill children Half amillion, that's nuts Nationwide.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
We're east of the Mississippi, east of the
Mississippi, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So think about it like this I mean, people are
like oh, why aren't you national?
We could be, but we're not afor-profit industry, Right?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Our mission is to never say no to a critically ill
child, and in 25 years we'venever denied the request of a
critically ill child.
So to us that's true success.
That is a wish.
It's a little like make a wishin some ways.
I mean, you heard that and itwas like, okay, I'm going to
have this happen.
And you made it happen in twodays, which is incredible.
Incredible resources andincredible just that
relationships you must have.
It's relationships.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's relationships.
It's about connections andabout I mean, you know all about
connections, right, it's a muchimportant thing, it is, and you
have that embedded trust.
Like you said, we just met, butthrough our connections there's
already this start, thisrapport, and that's so important
(06:57):
.
And I think that's where we'vehad so much success at Casey
Cares, because it started outwith the one family and then,
before we knew it, we're likegosh.
There's a real need, because atCasey Cares we don't help just
the critically ill child, butit's the mom, the dad, the
brothers, the sisters, becausewhen a child is diagnosed with a
critical illness, the ripplesof that diagnosis are felt
throughout the entire family andin a different way.
(07:19):
So we want to be sure that wecan be there for each and every
one of that family, of thatfamily unit, and that's so
important to us, because myhusband is from a family that
had three siblings that hadjuvenile diabetes just very rare
.
I mean.
Think back to the 70s and 80spancreatic transplants, unheard
(07:39):
of All of these things where weare like, oh, juvenile diabetes,
that's manageable.
Now, it wasn't that, it wasn'tright.
So he understands.
He was the healthy child, soeverybody else was focused on
the sick kids.
Yeah, and he had baseball.
He didn't get his baseballchampionship game because
somebody was in crisis.
So that's what our connection iswith helping the siblings and
(08:02):
helping the moms and dads.
His family did an awesome joband the best they could do, but
they didn't have supportiveprograms like AC Care.
Right, we help families frombirth to age 18 and even after
the child loses their battle oris in remission, and that comes
because my family lost.
I had a brother that died andthe impact that that makes for a
(08:25):
lifetime.
It's not a hard year, it's nota hard five years, it's a
lifetime.
It's a lifetime.
And so we're there to connectwith their families and help
them build a new future, a newfuture without their love, and
that's it really is about thoselittle moments and lasting
moments in life.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah.
So I want you to walk me backto that moment at 21, then that
you did this, you know, and nowsomething, the spark is ignited
and you're like this is what I'mgoing to do.
What, what's next?
What did you do next?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well, so we started with these, the families, and we
wanted to give them things,because in the hospital there's
not a lot of glorious things youcan do in the hospital.
There's just not.
And so you hear about all thesewish-granting organizations
which are amazing, and we telleverybody to use them, use them,
use them.
But let's think about likeisn't it great to have something
to look forward to every monthor every week, versus that one
(09:21):
big vacation?
And imagine if you're vomiting,if you feel like absolute crap
and you can't get out of bed.
How excited are you going to beto go to Hawaii?
Probably not real excited.
Oh, by the way, your doctor'sprobably not even going to let
you go, right?
Oh, and your parents?
They've probably already missedso much time at work that can
you imagine going in and beinglike hey boss another week off.
(09:43):
What do you mean?
You just missed a week lastweek.
So KC Cares has really gone inand talked to the social workers
, the families, the kids.
What do you guys want?
What do you need?
And that's how we built ourprograms.
So, from our life cycle is thatwe started out with doing local
activities because the familiescould do it.
(10:05):
What they would do is if theywere on their way to clinic.
You know, I mean, we're parents, this is what we do.
We're going to give you areward.
You're really good at this.
We're going to go, take you tothat, right, and so that's what
we did.
That's how it started out.
You have a really goodtreatment.
You want to go to the baseballgame, and guess what?
We're going to get you down onthe field so you can watch
(10:25):
batting practice.
Well, so then little Johnny islike okay, okay, I'm scared
because they're going to do aspinal tap and this is terrible,
but I'm going to go to thatbaseball game.
Like, those are those littlecarrots that we were dangling to
help these families get throughit.
We do movie and pizza nights athome because these families,
(10:46):
their immune system, arecompromised, and but when we
first started doing it.
Yes, we knew their immunesystems were compromised.
We didn't have the funding.
We could do movie and pizzanight for 50 bucks, you know.
Get the local pizza shop todonate three or four pies and
the guests and the rentals.
It's all very affordable.
But it's actually what thefamily needs, because they can
(11:09):
get together and they can have afun night at home.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Distractions, fun that's it Some normalcy?
Yes, if there is such a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Because a lot of times families and we all know
this from things that weexperience in our life, even if
we don't have a critically illchild when there's real sadness,
you wonder is it okay to behappy, is it okay to smile Like
I'm still really sad?
Yes, you can.
You can have moments of joy,you can have moments of light.
But a lot of times the moms,the dads, are so stressed
(11:41):
they're just trying to put onefoot in front of the other.
They don't have time to thinkabout an at-home movie and pizza
night.
They don't have time to thinkabout oh gosh, if we just had a
puzzle.
So we're going to send surprisedeliveries to the families at
the hospital or at home of games, of puzzles, of art projects,
of seeds, seeds, Planting things, to watching things grow, wow,
(12:04):
and to go through differentstages.
It means so much to ourfamilies who are going through
so many different stages andphases.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Can't even imagine Boy.
That's really incredible andit's so custom tailored and so
special and so unique.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
So unique and it's, but it's yet very simple.
We do so unique and it's, butit's, yeah, it's very simple.
We do group parties Once amonth.
We do group parties.
We bring everybody together andagain, remember, kc Cares helps
all critically ill children.
So think cancer, think sicklecell, think undiagnosed children
, think of complications, of youknow we used to have a lot of
HIV positive kids, but sciencehas come so far.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I'm sure you've seen so many, so many, I mean so much
innovation.
But so we have group parties.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Because these families used to have their
friends.
They used to be the soccer moms, right, or they used to be
their friends from school, buttheir kid's too sick, they don't
go to school anymore, the kidcan't play sports anymore.
So these friendships, you know,people do their best and they
do meal trains, but you start tolack these common threads.
So KC Cares provides a venuefor families to get together.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
The kids are playing laser tag and the parents are
sitting there havingconversations yes, and the
beauty is support system foreach other yes and they have
different diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So it's not like you're seeing somebody and being
like, oh gosh, our future'sgrim.
Not at all.
You're there and supporting andtheir child might be on a
breathing machine and nobodycares.
Right Another child may bevomiting, you know, running out
the door really quick.
Everybody's all hands on deck.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Let's help them, because they're going through
this Common threads, becausethey're going through this
Common threads Weaves togetherthis masterpiece of people that
are all.
It's a community.
I mean, that's a community andthat's what we need.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It's an amazing community and we continue to
find things.
For instance, we had a mom whocalled.
Early on in the stages of thecreation of KC Cares, we had a
mom call.
We were talking about anactivity that we were
coordinating for her daughterand she was just chit-chatting
about her daughter's turning 16and how this isn't actually how
she thought it was going to goRight.
(14:08):
And she started to say that atschool people are making fun of
her because she had a glob ofhair that fell out on the desk
and the shock and this.
It was just a horrible,horrible episode.
And plus she's sick, plus she'sdoing her best to pull herself
out of bed in the morning to getto school.
And I got off this phone soangry at what these other
children were piling on top ofwhat this little girl was
(14:30):
already going through.
Yes.
So we ordered two dozen rosesand had it sent to her high
school and we didn't sayanything.
Happy sweet 16.
That's what she was calling usabout, because we were
coordinating something else.
And happy sweet 16, thinking ofyou, that's it.
We sent it to the front desk,you know, to the school, didn't
hear anything and you knowyou're like, oh, we overstepped,
(14:52):
we went a little too far.
And a couple of days later wegot a call and the mom was like,
was it you?
Was it you?
Terrible call to get.
And I was like, oh hi, yeah,kind of Right.
And she's like she went fromeverybody making fun of her at
school to being the most populargirl because she told everybody
it was from a college guy thatshe met.
(15:13):
There you go, that's perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, that's.
Yeah, it's those little moments.
It's those little moments thatthey cherish.
Yes, wow, so have you had somedays that have been really tough
?
I mean, you've seen so muchloss in 25 years and grief,
sadness, how do you keep going?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
It's wicked, yeah, it's wicked, it's wicked and it
is.
I have three children.
Yeah, it's wicked, it's wickedand it is.
I have three children.
I started Casey cares um in2000 and I had my first child in
2000.
Okay, so the kids are alwayslike oh, that was your first,
that's your first child.
Um, it's so much loss and it is, uh, unforeseen loss,
(15:55):
unimaginable loss.
I mean the loss that justleaves you in total agony
Because you've establishedrelationships with these
families.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yes, I mean you've had those conversations and then
all of a sudden somethinghappens.
It's got to be very challengingfor you.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
But we focus on what we can control.
We focus on the fact that KCCares is all about palliative
care and there's so much scienceout there that says when you
are enrolled in programs like KCCares, it increases your
response.
The positive outcomes improveby like 70%.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Can you define palliative care for us?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we are there to support the soul, the spirit,
the person, and so that way youare primed to receive the
medicine.
Your body is open, your mind isopen and you are saying let's
do this.
I'm ready to fight, my body'sready to fight because we're
taking care of that person, thatfamilies their spirit and their
(16:55):
mind, and we're giving them areason to live.
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It's amazing.
I mean at 21,.
You started.
I mean that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Again, I had no idea what I was doing.
I was a little annoyed that Iheard somebody wish to have
cancer and I didn't want thatever to be spoken again, and
that there was such a unmet needto help all critically ill
children.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
And when you say palliative care, now is this in
the hospital setting?
So is it?
You're partnered with hospitals?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, we're partnered with all of the hospitals.
But you could even say to mehey Case, actually I have a
girlfriend whose granddaughteris trying to figure out what's
going wrong with them.
They don't know, maybe it'ssome kind of fantastic.
Fill out an application.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
And we make it easy.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Okay, yes, Okay, Because you know, do you
remember back to those schooldays when you got all these
papers to fill out at thebeginning of the school year?
Oh yeah, Imagine when your kidhas a critical illness, that the
forms you need to fill out aregut wrenching, Like it's just
too much, too much.
So KC Cares makes it reallyeasy.
We have a one-page form thatyou fill out.
(18:03):
You get it into us Within 48hours.
We're going to get back to youand probably Within 48 hours 48
hours and with that in your mailyou will have a movie and pizza
night.
You will probably already bereceiving a care package of new
pairs of pajamas, whether you'reat the hospital or at home,
because anything we can do tomake you a little bit more
comfortable, a little bit morenormal, that's what we're going
(18:26):
to do Right, so you partner themwith organizations, sponsors.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Is that who provides the, say pajamas or say whatever
it is for that, or how doesthat work?
The?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
amazing community in which we all live is how that
all works.
So we partner with hospitals,but anybody could know a
critically ill child and just goto our website, fill out the
application online, which I'llhave on the episode notes.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So everybody will have the website, so they can
just reach out.
Okay, perfect.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
And.
But a lot of their referralscome from social workers because
they're in it.
You know they're in thetrenches so they can really
refer.
All the children need arefrequent hospitalizations to be
dealing with a critical illness,and frequent hospitalizations.
Again, think about KC Cares, asmake a wish on steroids,
because it's not just once in alifetime, it's not once a year,
(19:13):
but it's continuously throughouttheir treatment process and
even after.
Like we said, we havebereavement groups which focus
around yeah, walk me throughthat after.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I'd be curious how that support continues.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
So, to be honest with you, some families say thank
you so much.
We appreciate it.
We can't do this.
We have too many memories, it'stoo hard for us, and we get
that and we stay in close touchwith them because maybe they'll
want to come back to us in ayear.
Right, you just never know.
You never know, you never know.
But then we have other familieswho little boy Jonathan, he lost
(19:49):
his battle and there's such adear family, such a dear family,
and they, after Jonathan losthis battle, they, after Jonathan
lost his battle, we sent themto the beach and afterwards she
called and she's like it was themost amazing family trip we've
ever had and I was likeinterested that she used the
(20:09):
word family and she said it wasthe first time since his loss
that we actually felt together.
He was with us the entire timebecause that was their special
place, that's where they wentand she's like we could feel him
and that was healing for them,wow.
And so we have moments likethat.
And then we also have likesupport groups that people can
(20:31):
join, and the cool part aboutour support groups is that
they're online, so you can befrom anywhere, and what I mean
about that is the siblings Againmine, so you can be from
anywhere.
And what I mean about that isthe siblings Again.
We have some brothers andsisters who are away at college
and they still join thosesupport groups.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And they're not.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
It's not religious based it's not um, you know, as
far as like an illness based,it's all about talking about
sharing memories of the goodtimes they had, a lot of times
that Casey cares provided forthem.
So that's the common threadthat they all come together and
can share, because that's whatthey want to do is they want to
keep their loved ones alive.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And they'll always be alive in their minds and their
hearts.
But they want to talk about itand share the stories Wow.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
So what do your kids think?
I always ask amazing women likeyou.
I don't know.
Do your kids think I always askamazing women like you?
You know, I don't know.
You had one, born in 2001.
So my youngest is 2003, 1997,99 and 2003.
And I always ask you know, howdo your kids view you?
You know, what would they say?
How would they describe you?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I don't know if I want to hear what they'd say but
, you know I can share with yousome things like I will never
forget, when my my youngest atone point said to me mommy, if I
was sick, would you spend moretime with me?
That stinks, that really stinks.
(21:52):
So I was.
I went to Casey cares every dayas if it was my job.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
You know I was just so passionate about helping
these families because they arein a fight for their lives, for
their child's life, right andgosh.
You know you do anything foryour kiddos and so sometimes you
need help.
You need help in doing thatbecause you're just so depleted
and I felt like I could helpthem and help and support them.
So that's hard is to hear thatfrom your kids.
(22:23):
Yeah, but coincidentally, ourdaughter, our youngest, was
diagnosed with rheumatoidarthritis when she was 13 and
unfortunately misdiagnosed,because I was told that I was
surrounded by all these sickkids and I'm projecting on her,
as it turns out, not so much.
So she has been on treatmentpart of the treatment and that
(22:47):
is chemo for over 10 years andshe is now 23 years old and she
went out to the real world andrealized that that wasn't her
passion.
She wanted to make a differenceand she wanted to make an
impact, to try to make the worlda better place day after day.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
So- Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
So now she runs Ohio and Florida for KC Cares so it's
so amazing to have her part ofthe Casey cares family.
But her bedside manner isincredible to get to know, like
her understanding of to hear hertalk about the paint on the
walls of where she would gettreatment is this weird green
mint color.
(23:28):
She was 10 years old but she'slike that's what these kids are
thinking about.
Let's give them things todistract them.
She just has a really differentRight but she's like that's
what these kids are thinkingabout.
Let's give them things todistract them.
She just has a really differentapproach, so that's awesome she
should be very proud.
It's awesome to have her a partof what we do day in and day out
and making us better.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
So when you talked about your family, business and
brothers and grandpa and all ofthat, if I were to have them in
the room sitting right now, youknow, sitting here and ask them
is this just how Casey alwayshas been?
Has she always been just agiver and a server and she just
wants to help?
What would they say?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean like that's just when you, when
you peel it back and you takethe time to look and to see
you're like, oh, absolutely,maybe a pleaser, like oh yeah, I
always want everybody to behappy and to be fulfilled and to
make sure they're living theirbest.
The best version of themselves.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Your energy is so contagious, it's so great, it
just exudes just passion andlove and you can just tell it,
it just comes out of all of yoursoul, everything.
It's just wonderful beingaround you and just seeing how
much you're passionate aboutthis.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
You see these families, and they are in the
worst, they are in the worstpart of their journey, and yet
they're so grateful and they'reso giving and they're so
positive.
So if they can be that way,heck, what's wrong with the rest
of us?
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Exactly you know and I'm hoping that getting the word
out about this.
Some people may already knowabout KC Cares, Some people may
not.
Some people may have a neighborthat has a critically ill child
and they don't know what to do.
How many times do you have thatwhen you're like, oh, I wish I
could help, I wish I could dosomething.
I wish I could understand.
Well, that's what you're herefor.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
That's what you're here for and I would encourage
people to get involved.
It doesn't matter if it's withCasey Cares, which would be
amazing and wonderful, right,because there's nothing better
in my world than to help acritically ill child and to also
step up and help these moms anddads, because I've had moms
come to me in full tears sayingI couldn't help my kid, I
(25:30):
couldn't make my kids smile, Icouldn't give my kid a, I
couldn't make my kid smile, Icouldn't give my kid a good time
.
And you stepped in.
You're like the favorite aunt.
You know they get all excitedwhen there's a message or a box,
a delivery from KC Cares.
But I would encourage people toget involved, whether it's with
the elderly or animals.
Anytime you get involved and togive back.
I promise you you personallywill benefit way more than any
(25:55):
one person you help.
It's contagious.
So true, it is just and there'sways to get help, whether it is
like right now, like Caseycares.
We have our the biggest pajamaday.
So we celebrate PJ day likenobody else.
We encourage local businessesto get out there.
We have people on the weatherchannel You'll see them in their
(26:15):
PJs broadcasting to celebrateNational KC Cares Biggest Pajama
Party when is that?
That is April 16th, okay.
And everybody gets involved,whether it's kids going to
school in their PJs or kidscollecting PJs.
So it's important to get ouryounger generation giving back
and they can understand what afavorite pair of PJs.
So it's important to get ouryounger generation giving back
(26:35):
and they can understand what afavorite pair of PJs means to
them.
Imagine what a favorite pair ofPJs means to a kid who is sick
in the hospital, is stuck in astiff hospital gown and all of a
sudden they get their favoritesports team PJs or their
favorite cartoon.
It's amazing.
And guess what?
There's a pair there at thenurse's station for brother, for
(26:56):
sister, for mom, for dad.
How cool, because I was notlooking forward to go visiting
my sibling in the hospital,right, but now that I get
something fun, let's go, that'samazing.
It's so fun.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
So everybody gets involved.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
They post their pictures on social media and tag
KC Cares.
But it's real.
We all can appreciate a cozypair of pajamas and a difference
that makes in a life is prettyincredible, pretty incredible.
It doesn't take a lot of zerosto give back and I think people
have that misunderstanding $25,.
(27:29):
A new pair of pajamas reallyadds up and makes a difference.
Yes, that's huge.
Every 12 minutes at KC, careally adds up and makes a
difference.
Yes, that's huge.
Every 12 minutes at Casey careswe're helping a participant and
we couldn't do it without thegenerosity of our communities,
the generosity of gettinginvolved and you know,
participating in the PJ day,getting involved in volunteering
and help coordinating a groupof people who are passionate
(27:51):
about our mission right, or justcoming into the office and
helping us do a mailing so manyways to get involved and there's
so many wonderfully talentedpeople out there that have the
time and the bandwidth to give.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
And they need to step aside from fear.
A lot of people listening.
You get 50 or beyond and you'relike I'm not needed anymore, I
don't need to do this.
I don't know what to do, Idon't know what my identity is
anymore.
Step into volunteering, youknow.
Go in and help with the mailing.
So your different officelocations will be on your
website too.
Yes, and where are all theoffices?
(28:24):
Too many to list.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Well, our headquarters is in Baltimore,
maryland, in Baltimore, okay,and but.
But there's so manyopportunities across east of the
Mississippi, right, and yes,please don't be fearful.
We don't have time for fear.
These children have a smallwindow and we need your help,
and so there's so many ways toget involved.
Tell us what you like to do,what you're good at doing, and
(28:46):
we'll find a way, you'll plugthem in somewhere.
We'll plug them in.
I mean, it's a nonprofit.
We all wear so many differenthats.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And that's so great because that's a community too.
Yes, so for somebody listeningor watching right now and this
is like wow, I think I could.
I think I could help Help.
That's what you're, you know,that's that's all you need to do
Pick up the phone, send anemail, whatever it is.
If you know somebody that's acritically has a critically ill
child or is struggling with thatjourney right now, reach out.
This is the perfectorganization.
(29:13):
So I'm so happy that our pathscrossed.
Now.
This is viewed kind of aroundthe world and you know, all over
the country, but there is anevent coming up in Sarasota
where we are broadcasting fromright now.
So just fill us in on that realquick.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
So this event is for the ladies, so we're encouraging
all the ladies to come out.
It is a fashion show.
Yeah, so fun, and it is goingto be so much fun.
We are going to have greatfashions for folks to get to
freshen up their wardrobes, butreally to come together to
support the critically illchildren in our community.
And then, once the fashionshow's over, the DJ is going to
(29:48):
start his mix.
Oh, that's the best.
The ladies are going to havetheir dancing shoes on and it
are going to have their dancingshoes on and it's going to be a
really fun night to celebratelife, because, you know, it
truly is a gift and we need tolive every single day.
Because there's so many peopleout there I mean, we think about
the kids in our programs whothey used to do their running on
the soccer fields or on thebaseball diamonds, and now their
(30:11):
running's done in the corridorsof a hospital.
We need to come together togive them, because their
childhood is condensed into afew short years and we've got to
fill it with everything we can,and it's events like this
fashion show that will enable usto do so.
Right, that's the support youneed.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
That's so fabulous.
So before we leave today andI'll have everything in the
episode notes for everybody Iwant to ask you the question I
ask everybody on the podcast, soyou're not even ready for this.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I don't know, we didn't talk about it, but I know
you're going to just nail it.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Let's see Casey.
If you were sitting on thecouch and you look over and
there's Casey at 30, what advicewould you give her?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I would probably tell Casey sit on the couch, because
I don't know if I've ever saton the couch, but I would tell
her it's okay.
(31:08):
It's okay, it is a process andyou are not always going to do
it the best at first and it'sokay.
And it doesn't matter whatSally thinks or what Jenny does.
It's your own path and thateverybody should be supportive
in that path.
So surround yourself with thepeople who will support you,
even when you get off the path alittle bit.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
I love that.
That's great advice.
Isn't that crazy when you thinkof yourself at 30, like,
looking over, I can see Amy at30.
And it's like wow.
I just go over, give her a bighug and say it's all going to be
okay.
Yes, you know, it's all goingto be okay.
You're doing amazing things.
Thank you, casey Baines, forbeing here.
Casey Cares Foundation willshare everything in the episode
(31:48):
notes.
Please reach out, get involved.
This is how we build community.
Reach out, get involved.
This is how we build community.
This is how we support eachother.
So, fearlessly, step into this,whatever it looks like for you,
and thank you so much for beinghere.
Thanks for having me.
Thanks so much for listeningtoday.
We know how valuable your timeis and that's why we keep it
short and sweet.
Don't forget to follow us onall the socials, and you can
(32:08):
check out all the links andresources in the show notes.
Until next time, go forth andbe awesome.
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