On the anniversary of her husband, Jimmy’s, death from cancer in 2019, his “angel day,” Annalynn Baiden Barnett joined a friend at Cancer Survivors Park for a yoga class. Afterward, the pair sat on a bench dedicated in his honor, sharing stories from his life. Like many people in Greenville, Barnett has experienced the comfort afforded by this space devoted to those learning to live with life-altering illness or loss.
“It’s more than just a pretty place to walk,” Barnett says of the park. “There’s a surprising amount of programming designed to give hope, promote wellness and help survivors live with this disease that affects all of us somehow.”
Her husband’s 2012 diagnosis was not Barnett’s first encounter with cancer. Her mother, Jean Baiden, was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 1996. Barnett’s father, Art Baiden, provided unwavering support throughout his wife’s decades-long journey through treatment, remission and recurrence.
“Theirs was an amazing love story. My father was a businessman and an Army general and my mother was a wedding planner for dozens of brides, including the daughters of several local oncologists. He always encouraged her and let her take the spotlight when it was her time to shine,” Barnett says. “They were a great team, and I had a beautiful example of how you can choose to let the disease draw you apart or draw you together.”
The Baidens were early supporters of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance (CSPA), participating in the capital campaign to establish the park, which opened in June 2018. Barnett joined in her parents’ efforts, supporting the nonprofit through its Chop! Cancer culinary fundraising event, and currently serves on its board.
Annalynn Baiden Barnett on Jim’s Bench in the Cancer Survivors ParkWhen Jean Baiden learned further treatment might give her more time but could not preserve her quality of life, she chose to begin hospice care. She arranged to say goodbye to friends, laughing that she didn’t have to worry about COVID. A perfectionist, she planned her funeral down to what she wanted family members to wear — not black. She died Aug. 8, 2020. Art Baiden died of a heart attack seven months later.
Despite losing her husband and both parents in just over two years, Barnett remains cheerful and focused on positive memories of her loved ones, including their shared dedication to Cancer Survivors Park. With the support of her brother, A. Hamilton Baiden, she is raising funds for an endowment established by CSPA to promote long-term sustainability for the park and its programs. The Jean and Art Baiden Endowment is administered by the Community Foundation of Greenville.
Kay Roper, CSPA executive director, says that like the park itself, the endowment reflects the efforts of multiple partners and passionate supporters like the Baidens. CSPA raised more than 80% of funding needed to build the park on land made available by Naturaland Trust, ReWa and Upstate Forever, then turned the park over to the city of Greenville to maintain. Proceeds from the endowment will be used for enhancements such as completing sculptures and signage, providing seasonal plantings and assisting the city’s maintenance budget to bring the park’s unique features to life.
“One possibility we’re excited about is being able to light the spire of our Beacon of Hope in varying colors for each cancer awareness month, visible even to those who don’t have the strength to walk in the park,” Roper says. “The endowment can also support the free programs CSPA creates for children and adults affected by cancer — like pet therapy, journaling for healing and music therapy — bringing to life our mission to engage, educate, empower and enhance all those touched by cancer.”
Donations to this fund can be made at https://cancersurvivorspark.org/endowment/.
