The BabySteps Children's Fund was born out of the need of a grieving mother for comfort and her desire to raise money for children's charities.

Established September 1998 by Lesley and Randy Kalpin, it commemorates their son Spencer, who died suddenly on May 11, 1998. He was 20 months old.

Unprepared and shocked by his sudden death, the Kalpins were overcome with grief. Much to their surprise, they found it difficult to gather information, find good resource material, and locate bereavement groups dealing specifically with this kind of loss. BabySteps was formed to fill this gap, and to provide a one-stop resource tool that deals exclusively with the loss of a child.

"Following Spencer's death, it took a long time for Lesley and me to venture out into the community, facing the challenges of returning to our former life, realizing that that's what it would always be, our former life. Every small step was filled with personal challenges, and we would report back daily to one another with our progresses and setbacks. As bereaved parents, the difficult road back to our recovery was, and still is, paved in baby steps."

Randy Kalpin

Contact us anytime. We would love to hear your feedback, answer any questions, receive your stories, or forward your contributions to Spencer's Memorial Fund at The Hospital for Sick Children.

To send a donation to the Spencer Kalpin Memorial Fund, send a cheque (include your name and address) to:

Spencer Kalpin Memorial Fund
c/o BabySteps Children's Fund
182-1054 Centre Street
Thornhill, ON
L4J 8E5, CANADA

A receipt for tax purposes will be sent through Sick Kids Hospital for all donations made to the Spencer Kalpin Memorial Fund to the address you send with your cheque.