THE ANGELA WARNER FOUNDATION

A legacy of courage and love…

The Angela Warner Foundation was established in May 2003 to honor the life of my daughter, Angela Brooke Warner, and to remember her kind and generous heart. Three months earlier, Angela, had passed away at the age of twenty-one, after a courageous lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Her last eighty-six days had been spent in a deep coma on a ventilator. During those final weeks, I spent many hours alone at Angela’s side. In those quiet moments I often contemplated how my wife, Linda, and I would ever survive much less find meaning in Angela’s death. What would our life be without her? What would be Angela’s legacy?

Most of us have the opportunity during our lifetime to create our own legacy through our children, grandchildren, our vocation, our good works, and gifts of our time, talent, and resources. Angela was a generous person who certainly left an indelible mark on those with whom she shared her life. She was a cheerleader in more than the literal sense. Her kindness, support for others, and enthusiastic spirit touched many lives. But how does a twenty-one-year-old complete a legacy when her life is cut short?

Linda and I had spent Angela’s life advocating for her health and her happiness as she fought a deadly disease that she knew would likely take her life. It was a role we cherished and a role we still pursue today on her behalf through the Angela Warner Foundation. Linda and I are now advocates for Angela’s legacy — a legacy of love.

Angela did not want her life defined by a disease. Her life and everything about her was so much more than cystic fibrosis. Nor should her life after death be identified solely with a chronic disease. We are dedicated to expanding her legacy and touching the lives of others through the activities of the Foundation and its broader mission:

  1. Provide financial support to the cystic fibrosis community in their quest for that elusive, yet achievable, goal of finding a cure for this devastating disease.
  2. Help others who have experienced the loss of a child
  3. Endow student scholarships, including those available only to students with cystic fibrosis, so that others can live fuller lives.
  4. Share the beauty and courage of Angela’s story in the hope her life and her generous spirit can be an inspiration to others.

We are proud of the accomplishments of the Foundation thus far. We are committed to carrying on Angela’s legacy by seeking additional projects to expand the scope of the foundation. We are confident her spirit will continue to direct our course.

Your ideas and feedback are welcome. Please join us in making a difference. Please let me know if you would like me to speak to your group about living with cystic fibrosis, losing a child, and our family’s stuggle with a chronic illness.

Thank you for visiting our site.

Sincerely,
Don Warner