A Prescription for Coping
"I'd describe the bond that Eric and Aaron had as almost one child sometimes," says Angela, referring to the twins she had 12 years ago. "They had so much fun with each other ... they were almost inseparable." Then, the unimaginable happened -- at six years old, Eric was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he passed away two years later, his brother Aaron felt completely alone. He had difficulty functioning in school and his grades dropped as he became more depressed. Angela finally turned to the family pediatrician for help. "We talked and I asked him what he liked doing," explains Dr. Marilyn Corder, "and he said, 'I like to bake,' and it almost was as if it was the first time since the loss of Eric that I saw Aaron again."
Dr. Corder promptly took out her prescription pad and gave Aaron an assignment: create a baking business. With a $20 head start from the doc for supplies, Aaron quickly came up with a business plan and some goals. "At first," he relates, "it was my mom's idea about making healthy cookies for people who might be diabetic. I thought they could have something that tastes good, too." While Aaron's baked goods have brought happiness to those in his neighborhood, it's the change in Aaron himself that makes his mom beam with pride. "He's more confident," Angela says. "He realizes that he can accomplish things on his own."
Aaron smiles, "I think Eric would love to try my cookies. What makes me proud is that I know my brother would be proud of me."


