Pasadena Parents of Girl Who Drowned Launch Foundation at "Rally for Roxie"
By Contributing Writer | |
PUBLISHED: October 12, 2019 at 2:37 pm | UPDATED: October 12, 2019 at 7:03 pm
By James Chow, Correspondent
Pasadena residents Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas wanted to create the perfect day their daughter would have loved.
That day was Saturday, a day to celebrate Roxie Forbes, who died in June after drowning in an Altadena summer camp’s pool. It also served as the launch of the Meow Meow Foundation, formed in response of an outpouring of community compassion for the couple’s daughter, who was diagnosed early in her life with a rare disease called Common Variable Immunodeficiency.
The mission of the Meow Meow Foundation, named after Roxie’s favorite Scrappy Cat doll, is to support Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ pediatric immunology and cardiology initiatives, and to advocate for policies and research to prevent drowning-related tragedies.
“Roxie’s death was 100% preventable, and we need to ensure that every family is aware of how she died and how this can be prevented,” Matyas said.
Forbes says he wanted Rally for Roxie to be an event his daughter would’ve loved to go to herself.
To make the day perfect, Forbes and Matyas enlisted Roxie’s former art teacher in creating an interactive art project at San Rafael Park, which she often frequented; they also reached out to a toy store in South Pasadena, where, Forbes said, “she’d just go all the time when she was going off school or when daddy or mommy felt like it was a good day to spoil Roxie.”
The event began at 11 a.m. with a walk from San Rafael Elementary School to the park. The idea came from Forbes’ and Matyas’ nightly walks to work out their grief.
“[The park] is a short distance from our house,” Forbes said. “We used to always walk up there or take her up there in a stroller.”
Roxie’s former music teacher from Pacific Oaks Children’s School directed walk, while San Rafael teachers and parent volunteers helped coordinate an interactive art project for the community. DJ Jeffery Plansker from Los Angeles-based nonprofit radio station Dublab spun various genres of music.
The Academy of Polynesian Arts, which performed at Roxie’s fourth birthday party, did a dance for those gathered.
All the vendors and sponsors had some role in Roxie’s life, with most of them offering their services at a discounted or free rate. They include Dinosaur Farm, Rose Bowl Aquatics, the Academy of Polynesian Arts and The Kitchen for Exploring Foods.
“It’s going to be in a very emotional day for us, but the community is what has helped us through,” Matyas said before the event. “We have just received an incredible outpouring of love.
“Just learning about … how many lives she has impacted has brought us comfort in the most difficult part in our lives.”
The couple is working with state representatives to pass legislation to license day camps. They hope new restrictions can be established to counter the lack of government oversight on day camps and to enforce better insurance requirements.
At the event, Forbes and Matyas equipped parents with “Roxie Rules,” what they called critical questions and best practices to consider before placing a child in camps or public pool situations.
“That’s what this is going to be really about, not only to celebrate Roxie but honor her by making sure another Roxie doesn’t die,” Forbes said.