Wallingford Everyday Heroes: The Westbrook Family

Do you know someone making a difference in our community? Patch wants to tell their story in a new series we’re calling “Everyday Heroes.” We are looking to share inspirational and uplifting stories of people who work to change others’ lives for the better.

Today’s nominee was sent in by Courtney Barrett.

Name of Everyday Hero

• the Westbrook Family

Relationship to nominee

• Relative

Details of good work

• “My nomination of an Everyday Hero goes to the Westbrook family (Heather, Mike, Colin and Maddison).Heather Westbrook is my sister and that makes me Colin and Maddie’s Auntie! Just days after Colin’s second birthday the Westbrooks got the news no parent ever wants to hear, Colin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). This was over five years ago, Colin is now as normal as any other 7-year-old. Since that day, the Westbrook family has been doing everything they can to help other families that have heard those dreadful words. They started a non-profit called “Colin’s Crew.” One of the programs is Meals4kids were we work with area restaurants to bring families that are inpatient at the hospital meals on holidays so they can have a home cooked meal. Snacks4kids brings kids in the community together to donate their favorite snacks and create great bags of snacks that are brought to the hospital for the kids that are sick. Also, we have Fun4kids, a fun day for the family when cancer is replaced by fun, even if it is just for a day. We work hard to find events that will be in the shade and clean so parents can feel comfortable taking kids that haven’t been able to get out in a while out for a day of fun.”
  

Why do you feel is this person an Everyday Hero?

• “The Westbrooks have given part of almost every holiday since Colin’s diagnosis to make sure that sick kids get meals or snack bags, to tell them and their families that they are not alone.”

Do you know someone who is an “Everyday Hero?” Nominate them by following the instructions below.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Name of Everyday Hero
2. Your relationship to the nominee
3. Details of good work done or being done
4. Why do you feel is this person an Everyday Hero?

Email your answers, along with a jpeg photo, to wendy.mitchell@patch.com and your Everyday Hero could be featured!

Photo by Samantha Farkash