It has been 17 years since the discovery of “Baby Parker,” a full-term newborn boy found wrapped in a towel near an abandoned train track in Brantford.
The tiny lifeless body was spotted on a warm summer day in 2005 by a woman out walking her dog. Police named the child Parker after Parkside Drive, a street near where he was found.
Despite intense investigation, city police have been unable to identify the parents or a friend who may have helped the mother give birth and conceal the child’s body.
Shalyn Wilson was among a group of people gathered at Baby Parker’s grave marker in Mount Hope Cemetery late last month — on July 28, the day he was found – to recognize his brief life.
“I brought a card that people signed in his memory,” said Wilson. “Somebody brought flowers and a balloon. There were snacks. We sang Happy Birthday. It was a beautiful day.”
A week after Baby Parker was discovered, police received a letter that claimed to be from the mother, explaining she was a teen who had hid her pregnancy and didn’t know who the father was or where to get help.
Wilson knows what’s it’s like to be an overwhelmed young mother. She was 19 and living in a one-bedroom apartment — furnished with just a bed — after being homeless for a time, when she discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
“I had a lot of childhood trauma,” said Wilson. “I didn’t know how to cook or take care of a home. I had no organizational skills. I had no ability to adult.
“Then you have this little life in your hands and you don’t know how to do the basics.”
Baby Parker highlighted a need in the community. In 2016, a collaborative group was formed to investigate what kinds of support pregnant and parenting youth say they require.
Their research determined the needs were wide ranging and included financial, social, educational, and emotional resources in order to succeed as young parents.
In 2017, Parker’s Project, named in honor of Baby Parker, was born with an aim to empower vulnerable youth to lead change in their community.
Among their first goals was publishing a book of resources for young parents, conducting a post-partum mood disorder campaign, and creating a parent mentorship program that matched new parents with those who have “lived experience.”
The group has investigated gaps in and barriers to services, including long wait lists, and how parenting is complicated by mental health and addiction issues.
Now overseen by Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services, more recently there have been budgeting workshops, a virtual education fair and regular parent nights with crafting and lots of chat. Since early July, community garden meet-ups have been arranged where parents can pick some fresh food while their children enjoy nearby playgrounds.
“It’s about empowerment and building a village,” said Nicki Straza, youth and family engagement coordinator at Woodview. “Moms need moms and dads need dads. When you start to hear other people’s stories, you realize you’re not alone.”
Kayla Cobbe was 26 when she had her daughter, but without any family in the area, she felt isolated and overwhelmed – she rarely left her apartment. She now realizes she was suffering from postpartum depression.
Through Parker’s Project she has become more self-assured and adept at dealing with her daughter’s behavioral issues. She has even built enough confidence to make public presentations about the program.
Both Wilson and Cobbe have become “passionate, supportive advocates for other moms,” said Straza.
Theresa Vidal, an outreach worker at Woodview, said Parker’s Project “allows parents to pull from their strengths.”
“They build on their own skills – something they might not have had the opportunity to do when they’re so focused on their children.”
Over the past decade, Straza said there have been program improvements — a shift toward collaboration between local organizations to deliver help to struggling parents.
And, said Wilson, there is a “night and day difference in how open people are about sharing their parenting journeys.”
Meanwhile, the search for answers in the Baby Parker case continues. Robin Matthew-Osmond, communications manager for Brantford Police Services, said the case remains active and open and “continues to be a priority” for police.
“It’s amazing to see the legacy Baby Parker has produced to help young families,” said Straza. “It’s amazing to see the good that has come out of awful.”
Initially open to parents aged 14 to 29, Parker’s Project now welcomes parents of all ages and is always looking for more participants. Information can be found at parkersproject.info and on Facebook and Instagram.
