Citizen of the Month: Federal Way man honored as Unsung Hero

Published 1:11 pm Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Doug Barker and his wife noticed bruising on their son Cassian’s body one day.

After a doctor’s trip, a rush to Seattle Children’s Hospital and several tests later, the Barkers learned their then-7-year-old son had a rare disease — aplastic anemia.

Like any great father, Barker wanted Cassian to retain as much of his regular life as possible as he went through treatment at the hospital.

So Barker took the next step by providing the opportunity for Cassian to connect to his classroom by using Skype, a video-call and chat service.

“It really gave him a sense of normalcy,” said Barker, who is the Mirror’s Citizen of the Month for February. “We were able to keep his education up to speed as well.”

During his son’s time at Valhalla Elementary, Barker recognized the importance of getting involved.

“Barker is a very informed parent,” said Elisabeth Bagnell, the family liaison at Valhalla Elementary. “He’s always been very interested in helping all kids, not only his own kids.”

Barker joined the Family and Community Partnership and has been a very “behind the scenes” force in improving the school, Bagnell said.

“He’s just an awesome human being, very well prepared, very smart family man,” she said. “He puts family before everything and I think parents like that always go unacknowledged because they go behind the scenes.”

Humbled, Barker attributes his actions to Bagnell and Trise Moore, the director of the Family and Community Partnership office.

“[Bagnell] really helped us feel welcome at the school and opened the door for us to contribute to the school as well and that’s where I became really active,” Barker said. “Being involved at the school, you can make a big impact not only for your child but for other children too.”

Barker said Bagnell and Moore opened the doors for Barker to have “impactful dialogue with the district and city leaders, to sit on the parent advisory board at the Education Service Center, to participate in key discussions at the school level and in meetings regarding grants at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

Barker said he helped keep first and second graders in combined classes, which allows the younger children to have mentors and for the older to experience what it’s like to be a mentor and leader. He also assisted in providing feedback to the district that was required in order to receive a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Now, the Barkers’ son Cassian is doing great at 10 years old and Barker is still actively involved with the Family and Community Partnership Office.

Because of Barker’s efforts, Bagnell nominated him as an Unsung Hero of the Seattle Children’s Hospital. The hospital chose 28 Unsung Hero awards for February’s Parent Recognition Month, and Barker was recognized as one on the evening of Feb. 24 at the Washington State Department of Early Learning in Lacey, Washington.

Bagnell said Barker is interested to see the school system work for all kids so they can be successful and if he believes in something, he “goes for it.”

To nominate a Citizen of the Month, email your name, contact information and why you believe the Mirror should choose your nomination to editor@fedwaymirror.com.