Helping Families Stay Where They Belong: At Their Child’s Bedside
“My wife and I started this foundation because we saw a heartbreaking reality in the hospital: some parents have to leave their sick children just to keep up with the costs of being there.”
Zachary Bainter
We’re pleased to recognize Zachary Bainter, of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management in Santa Monica, CA, as a Catalyst Award finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Awards. Bainter and his wife, Lindsey, created the Parker H. Bainter Foundation to support families with children in the hospital and help offset the costs of being there, with the ultimate goal of enabling parents to be by their child’s side.
The Foundation is named for the Bainter’s son, Parker, who endured four hospital stays totaling 75 days before passing away just five days shy of his 6-month birthday. During those days, the Bainters noticed that not every child was as fortunate to have their parents by their side, often for financial reasons. After so many days by their own son’s side, they came to believe that parents and children benefit greatly from having a family advocate with them at all times.
“We saw parents facing the devastating choice between being at their child’s bedside and earning money to pay the bills,” says Bainter.
The Parker H. Bainter Foundation addresses the financial, logistical, and emotional needs of families with children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, easing the financial strain of extended hospital stays for those who need and want to remain bedside with their child. Since its founding in 2023, the foundation has served over 2,000 families with financial aid and comfort gifts.
Bainter is especially proud to have launched and sustained a music therapy program for pediatric patients and their families at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. This cause is deeply personal: during Parker’s hospitalization, a music therapy intern wrote a unique song for him that the Bainters still cherish. “Seeing isolated children light up from a simple song is the direct, emotional payoff of our mission,” says Bainter.
“In every sense, Zach embodies the mission of the Parker H. Bainter Foundation,” says Lindsey Hartsough, President of the Foundation. “His leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment continue to drive meaningful change in the lives of the families we serve.”
As a Catalyst Award finalist, the Parker H. Bainter Foundation, which honors Parker’s memory while supporting thousands of families in similar circumstances, will receive a $25,000 grant from Invest in Others to help extend that impact even further. We can’t wait to celebrate the Bainter’s’ story at this year’s Invest in Others Awards Gala.
