The Story Behind Parker Project: Honoring Parker Angelus Diaz
Parker Angelus Diaz was born on October 5, 2000, in West Covina, California. He was lovingly raised by his devoted father, Daniel Diaz founder of the Parker Project and his grandparents, Jose and Gloria Diaz. In 2006, Parker’s grandfather retired and relocated the family to San Antonio, Texas in search of a better educational environment. Parker was a joyful, compassionate child with an old soul often the case for children raised closely by grandparents. He was bilingual in Spanish and English, loved martial arts, and enjoyed playing video games. His warmth and gentle nature left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.
In 2010, Parker began experiencing pain in his legs, which his family initially believed were “growing pains.” Over time, the concern deepened, leading his father and grandparents to consult multiple medical professionals including general practitioners, orthopedic specialists, and pediatric experts.
Everything changed on February 9, 2011. During a routine check-in at a specialist’s office, nurses discovered that Parker’s blood pressure was dangerously high, despite him appearing healthy. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. After two weeks at Methodist Children’s Hospital and a series of thorough tests, doctors discovered a tumor the size of an orange on his adrenal gland. Parker was diagnosed with Adrenal Carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer especially in children. Parker underwent surgery to remove the tumor and began an intensive chemotherapy regimen. For a brief time, there was hope he began to feel better. But that hope was short-lived; the cancer returned just a few months later. Despite his condition, Parker never lost his spirit. During the rare moments when chemotherapy side effects subsided, he’d enjoy simple joys like shopping at Target. His family came to treasure those quiet, joyful moments, knowing how fleeting they could be.
After 13 months of courageous battle including multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Parker passed away on March 13, 2012.
Why Parker Project Exists: A Father’s Promise to Families in Crisis
The 13 months following Parker’s cancer diagnosis were a blur for the Diaz family marked by relentless treatments, sleepless nights, and a singular mission: to keep Parker comfortable, hopeful, and loved. Hospital stays for chemotherapy became routine, and the family adapted to a new kind of normal. While Parker underwent treatment, his father, Dan Diaz, worked during the day, returning to the hospital each evening to relieve his parents, Parker’s devoted grandparents. Yet even convincing one of them to leave for rest was nearly impossible. Every ounce of their energy and emotion was focused on Parker’s well-being.
As a result, the family’s daily life outside the hospital suffered. Basic responsibilities, vehicle maintenance, home care, personal health took a backseat to the battle they were fighting together. Like many families facing pediatric cancer, survival in the most basic sense was secondary to the urgent mission of helping their child survive. A decade after Parker passed away, Dan Diaz reflected deeply on that time and on the families he met in the hallways of the hospital. Parents who couldn’t afford to miss work for fear of losing their jobs. Mothers and fathers who had to leave their sick child overnight alone because they couldn’t pay for childcare for siblings at home. Families forced to rely on public transportation, riding for hours just to make it to a treatment that could save their child’s life.
These reflections gave birth to Parker Project a mission inspired by Parker’s strength and the quiet struggles of families just like his.
