She is a tiny, fragile one-year-old who was born with two life-threatening strikes against her: the first was a devastating birth defect; the second, an unsafe home from which she was removed as an infant. Without an organ transplant she will likely die before her second birthday. But before her name can be placed on the organ transplant waiting list, a court must decide whether to return her to her parents or free her for adoption.
Her life is full of concerned adults–foster parents who want to adopt her, biological parents who are working to get her back, social workers, medical teams, lawyers, a judge. But only one person in this crowd is appointed by the court look out for the best interest of the child and speak for her alone: Don Barker, her CASA volunteer.
If anyone is prepared to shoulder this heavy responsibility it is Barker, 64, an American Legion member who served his country as a Marine and his community as sheriff’s deputy. Volunteering for Nashville’s CASA, Inc., in his retirement, he says, is just another chapter in his life of service.
The Marine Corps, says Barker, “taught me to be prepared and to arrive on time.” That lesson formed the cornerstone of his successful career and it is crucial to his success as a CASA volunteer. “I arrive prepared for the mission, which means I do as much homework as I can before every meeting,” he says. “I don’t want to be surprised.”
After a career in law enforcement, Barker is not shy about telling a judge what he thinks or pushing hard for a speedy resolution. Courts are reluctant to sever parental rights–and most of the time that’s prudent, says Barker. But in this case, the stakes are too high. “I know the parents and I know they’re trying,” he says. “But we don’t have time to let them work through a program to regain custody if we’re going to have a chance to save this child’s life.”
Jane Andrews, Executive Director of CASA, Inc., says if she could build a mold for an ideal CASA volunteer she would start with Don Barker. “Don represents the perfect match between the desire to make a difference and the skills needed to do so,” she says.
Four years ago, Barker’s first case brought him into the lives of two brothers who were removed from their home because of educational neglect. He was immensely proud to see the older brother flourish in school and become a National Merit scholarship semifinalist before he aged out of the foster care system. The younger brother will age out in July, and Barker is still on the case. At a recent family team meeting, the youth said he’d been thinking about Barker just the day before. “Why didn’t you give me a call?” asked Barker. “Because I knew I’d see you today,” the boy replied. “You’re always here.”
“They know I’ll always be there when they need me–I get a handshake and a hug–and that’s what keeps me going,” says Barker. And until she is squared away, he will always be there for the medically fragile child whose life now hangs in the balance.
If you’d like to volunteer at a CASA near you, visit their Web site.
