WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Here’s a sobering statistic: One in 10 children in Florida will experience the death of a parent or sibling before turning 18.
That’s 10 kids out of every hundred staring at an empty seat at the dinner table. That’s two kids in every classroom who carry questions with no easy answers. But thanks to the compassionate work of The Mark Wandall Foundation, grieving children are finding steady support and a path forward.
For 22 years, this Bradenton-based nonprofit has helped youth navigate life after the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver. Through its bereavement camps, quarterly connect groups, equine therapy sessions, and college scholarships, the foundation stands beside children and families as they learn to live with loss—a journey its founder, Melissa Wandall, knows all too well.
A Promise Rooted in Loss
In October 2003, Melissa and her husband, Mark, had just celebrated their first anniversary and were awaiting the birth of their daughter when the unimaginable happened. Melissa received news that Mark, along with her brother, had been in a car crash after another driver ran a red light. Her brother survived, but Mark didn’t. They had been just minutes from home.
At the crash site, amid the blur of lights and sirens, Melissa felt time stop.
“His death had not yet been confirmed,” she says, “but I just knew. And I knew I had to do something with it.” She whispered a vow then, that she would make meaning out of tragedy.
But that promise had not begun with Mark.
When Mark died, Melissa was no stranger to grief. At 12, she’d lost her 14-year-old sister, Tammy, to cancer. In the final days of Tammy’s life, Melissa sat at her bedside and promised her sister—and God—that she would not let pain destroy her. No matter what happened, she would move forward in a positive way.
Her parents cared for Melissa and her brother with love, even in their own grief. But not everyone was so kind. When she returned to school, a teacher publicly shamed her for not knowing a geography fact, saying her sister’s death was no excuse. A classmate spread a rumor that Tammy had purposely overdosed on pills. Melissa cried for the first time since Tammy’s death.
“I didn’t tell my parents until years later,” she says. “Even at 12, I didn’t want to add to their grief. So, I carried it alone.”
That childhood isolation shaped how she responded to Mark’s death. Two weeks after he was killed, Melissa gave birth to their daughter, Madisyn. She held that tiny baby and repeated the same vow: Her heart may be broken, but she would not let it break her. Mark’s life—and his loss—would matter. Now, through the foundation that bears his name, she aims to be the person she needed at 12.
“This work helps me keep my eyes on as many kids as I can,” she says. “To let them know it’s okay to be angry. It’s also okay to laugh again, to have friends, to feel joy even while you carry grief.”
Healing Happens Here
The foundation’s mission comes to life through four main programs. The annual sleepaway camp gives kids a safe place to grieve and connect with others who understand what they’re feeling. In partnership with Comfort Zone Camp, the retreat welcomes kids as young as seven and lets them return each year until they graduate.
Melissa first learned about Comfort Zone when she sent Madisyn to camp. Even as a child, Madisyn recognized the value of the experience. “Seven girls in my healing circle lost their dads, too,” she told her mother. “If they came to my school, they’d understand why I don’t want to go to the father-daughter dance.”
Grief shared, they both realized, is grief softened.
While the campers spend the weekend together, parents and caregivers stay home. Melissa and the volunteers have found that kids often open up more when they’re away from family. During camp, licensed therapists lead healing circles where kids can share their stories or simply listen. The weekend ends with a memorial service that the kids design themselves—a small but powerful step in their healing. It’s often the first time they’re asked how they want to honor their loved one.
While camp is the biggest event, quarterly Reconnects bring whole families together. This spring, the foundation teamed up with the Bradenton Marauders for a night at the ballpark, where Melissa threw the first pitch. Nearly 100 family members attended and enjoyed a community BBQ. Station 400 hosted a pancake breakfast around the holidays, and in September, the foundation has planned a pool party with pizza at Sun Outdoors. While other programs separate children and guardians to meet different needs, events like these give families a rare chance to show up together and connect.
Monthly equine therapy sessions also bring a unique healing experience. Kids work with horses in ways that help them build trust, develop emotional awareness, and feel a sense of calm and connection that words often can’t reach. Teens who’ve gone through the program often return to help lead it for others. And each year, the foundation awards scholarships to students pursuing college or trade school, reminding them that their future still matters.
As the foundation continues to grow, so does the need. Melissa hopes to expand programming by offering a second camp weekend in the year to accommodate more children. In 2025 alone, 25 children attended for the first time. Many others had to be temporarily placed on hold to make room. Melissa’s goal is to never have to tell a grieving child, not this year.
Grief Transformed
The foundation’s impact is sometimes hard to quantify, but it’s easy to feel in the stories families share.
“The bond my son built through equine therapy gave him so much confidence,” one Bradenton mom said. “He also looks forward to camp every year, where he can talk about his dad in a safe space. Finding Melissa and the foundation has been our lifeline.”
Another parent echoed the same relief. “They’ve stepped into a safe bubble where they’re free to grieve and share memories. The foundation gave my children a community that knows exactly what they’re feeling.”
Melissa can point to dozens of children who’ve flourished with long-term support. One boy came to the foundation at six after losing both his father and grandmother just months apart. His grief often showed up as anger, intensified by the complexities of life on the spectrum. It created an emotional storm that others struggled to understand.
“He got kicked out of camp that second year,” Melissa recalls. “But I wasn’t going to let him fall through the cracks.”
His mother wasn’t, either. She brought him to every equine session and Reconnect event. Today, he’s 16 and a leader in the equine program—”full of joy,” Melissa says, “and proof of what’s possible when you don’t give up.”
Another young woman, now 18, grew up in a turbulent home, but her mother took her to camp each year. She later returned as a “Big Buddy” mentor for younger campers. In a world that hasn’t always shown up for her, she’s become someone who shows up for others.
And then there’s the boy who attended a one-day camp after his father died. He came back for the weekend retreat twice, then returned as a volunteer. Now a high school senior, he helps lead equine therapy sessions, assists at Reconnect events, and mentors younger kids.
“He’s one of my little spokespersons,” Melissa says, smiling. “He knows what it’s like to carry grief as a kid, and the other children can feel that.”
Become Part of the Story
The Mark Wandall Foundation mainly runs without paid staff and has no physical office. Every dollar goes straight to programming. But as need grows, so does the importance of community support.
On October 24, 2025, the foundation will host its biggest fundraiser of the year, the Annual Memorial Weekend & Golf Tournament at Heritage Harbour Golf Club. Whether you love golf or your business could sponsor the event, your support helps grieving children heal.
Other ways to help:
– Sponsor a child’s camp experience. At $73,000 a year for 65 kids, this life-changing weekend relies on the generosity of donors.
– Host or fund a Reconnect event. Your business could provide food, space, or activity support for a family gathering.
– Support equine therapy. These sessions offer unique comfort, especially for kids who struggle to express grief verbally.
– Fund scholarships. Help grieving teens step into their future with confidence.
– Volunteer as a Big Buddy. You’ll be trained and paired with a camper to offer encouragement and a listening ear.
– Use your story for good. If you’ve experienced loss yourself, your empathy could be the bridge someone else needs.
– Donate. Every gift makes a difference, no matter the size.
– Share the mission. If you know someone who needs this support (or someone who’d want to help), pass it on.
Healing begins when we talk about grief. And while grief doesn’t disappear with time, it becomes easier to carry when we’re not carrying it alone.
It’s fitting that his name was Mark. His life—and the love that has followed—continues to leave one.
For more information about The Mark Wandall Foundation, including ways to donate or get involved, visit www.themarkwandallfoundation.org.
