We recently connected with Pilar Peters and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Pilar thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

On July 5th , 2022 we were informed that we were adding three bundles of joy to our family, talk about wow! While my husband and I were ready to add to our little family of three, doubling the number of people in our crew was a complete surprise to us, especially since we were not on any fertility treatments. That being said, we were excited to embark on this new chapter.

​We started our journey with Texas Children’s Hospital on August 9th and got to see the babies for the very first time. We confirmed that Baby A and B were an identical set and Baby C was fraternal.
​With bi-weekly appointments to the medical center we continued to see these little ones grow
as we prepared our home to welcome three boys in what we thought would be January 2023.

On December 6, 2022 our lives were turned upside down when we were informed that Baby B had an estimated mass the size of a baseball under his jawline. We relocated to the medical center the following week and prepared for our high-risk exit delivery scheduled on December 27, 2022. That day we met the boys for the very first time and our hearts grew 3x over.

Milo Harrison Peters (Baby A)
Theo Oliver Peters (Baby B)
Luca William Peters (Baby C)

​Post-delivery was an emotional time navigating the medical twists and turns during their stay in the NICU and preparing for Theo’s mass resection on January 4th. On January 4th we prayed over Theo, saw him off, and anxiously awaited the team’s updates. It was about 8 hours later we were informed the surgery was successful and the 10 cm mass was sent to be biopsied. While we waited for the results we were finally able to hold Theo without any breathing support on January 12th, what a treasured memory for us all. Unfortunately, a week later Theo started having breathing complications again and we noticed a mass appeared on the side of his chest. It was during that time that we were also hearing that his mass was no longer assumed to be benign and on Jan 23rd received confirmation that he had Sarcoma Cancer but were still hopeful it was caught in an early stage. Two days later Theo had a cardiac arrest event and was moved to an isolation room.

​On January 27th we were informed that Theo had been diagnosed with terminal high-grade soft-tissue Sarcoma Cancer. It was at that moment our world collapsed leaving us to hold on to whatever final moments we had left with our beautiful son.

​On January 31st we had a small celebration of life before Theo’s passing. Theo was surrounded by loved ones the day he became our angel. We are grateful for the time we had with him and are at peace knowing our sweet angel is on heaven’s side and will forever be in our hearts. In his 1 month on earth Theo touched so many lives in such a meaningful way helping our family reestablish the importance of being present with the ones you love along with individual reflections helping us all evolve into better human beings.

​During this period of our lives we got to see how resilient we are as human beings, how having faith can bring peace in a time of chaos and how having a community of family and friends can offer you so much strength and that sometimes… needing help and having hands extended to you is okay and quite frankly beautiful. This sentiment fueled with the desire to honor our son ignited the T.O.P. Foundation (Theo Oliver Peters Foundation) focused on supporting families in need and helping them get back on TOP to where the world seems right again.

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Pilar, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Pilar Peters, I have a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University and am currently an M.B.A. candidate. I am a mother of four kids, two who I get to raise on earth and two who our little angels in heaven. I became a non-profit Founder and President shortly after the death of our son Theo Oliver Peters. I’m proud of my ability to channel my grief into something meaningful.

What you may not know is our son, Milo, Theo’s identical brother was diagnosed with cancer the day after Theo’s passing. After a 6-month treatment plan and 7-month “remission status”, Milo relapsed and passed at 14 months. As a parent who lived through navigating an early-life pediatric cancer diagnosis, I know how important it is to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Our foundation aims to provide nutritional comfort and financial assistance to caregivers who are not only managing a newborn but also navigating the challenges of a pediatric cancer treatment plan. This foundation allows us to shine Theo and Milo’s light on others spreading our love for them in the best way we know how.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When initiating a non-profit organization, it is essential to comprehend the Internal Revenue Service’s non-profit categorization.

In our case, we initially established our non-profit as a Private Foundation (PF). However, it came to our attention that most corporate donation matching platforms necessitate the foundation to be categorized as a Public Charity (PC) or a Private Operating Foundation (POF). Consequently, in our second year, we underwent a process to appeal for a change in status, aiming to optimize our donation potential.

It is crucial to note that the transition period for these status alterations can span several months. Therefore, if leveraging corporate matching as a means to optimize donation funding is a strategic objective, be careful mindful when initially selecting the non-profit categorization.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During my childhood, my Dad affectionately referred to me as the “Pillar of Strength,” a sentiment that always resonated deeply with me. I have long seen myself as a resilient individual capable of thinking swiftly and finding solutions. This strength was put to the test as I n
avigated a high-risk triplet pregnancy while undertaking a full-time M.B.A program, working full time, and managing the potty training of our ~three-year-old child.

The challenges intensified when we received Theo’s initial teratoma diagnosis and later learned of his terminal cancer diagnosis. Even in the face of these adversities, I continued to persevere. When our son Milo was diagnosed, we fought alongside him, and when his cancer recurred, we felt the weight of our struggles. However, despite our broken state, we made the decision to relocate across state lines to begin a new chapter for our family. Shortly after our son’s passing, my husband was already seeking job opportunities, while I managed the logistics of our relocation. Throughout this tumultuous period, we relied on each other and our family, taking control of what we could while releasing what we could not.

Grief and navigating an early-life pediatric cancer diagnosis has led us on a profound and enduring journey, yet it was the commitments we made to our sons, to raise their siblings in a home filled with love and joy, that sustained us. Personally, I sought therapy when I felt my heart growing hard, determined not to become bitter about our circumstances. Thankfully, I am equip with the tools to focus on what truly matters and have gained invaluable wisdom and perspective, guiding my present actions. Although we still encounter challenging and emotional days, I am no longer the person I once was. I have emerged stronger, more compassionate, and know for a fact, I am a resilient human being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.top-foundation.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.o.p.foundation/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pilarpeters/
• Other: [email protected]