By the time Philip Wecker died, the 3-year-old had undergone 42 surgeries, most performed by then senior pediatric resident Chuck Paidas at Hopkins Children’s. He could not survive the brutal consequences of a rare genetic disorder known as X-Linked Autoimmunity Allergic Dysregulation Syndrome (X-LADD). At Hopkins, pediatric hematologist George Dover, immunologist Howard Lederman and a multitude of other specialists had fought to save the toddler’s life, says his father Dan Wecker: “They were remarkable people who truly cared about us. When Philip died, we began our fund-raising relationship with Hopkins.”

Paidas, who became the director of Hopkins Children’s pediatric trauma service, invited Wecker to be a celebrity chef in “Caring Cuisine,” a fundraiser for the trauma service. Owner and executive chef of the Elkridge Furnace Inn in Elkridge, Md., Wecker agreed. 

Born with the same genetic condition that had taken his brother’s life and later a cousin’s, Cameron Wecker, at the age of 10, received a bone marrow transplant at Hopkins Children’s in 2000. It was and is the only known cure for this primary immune deficiency disorder.

To demonstrate their ongoing appreciation to Johns Hopkins and its care for Cameron, Dan Wecker, a French-trained chef, and his wife, Donna, decided to host their own grassroots fundraiser. “We felt that the trauma team served one of the largest communities of sick children and desperate families in the region,” he says.

This past July, the family hosted its 8th Bastille Day celebration at their inn to support the team – the designated pediatric trauma service for the State of Maryland. The evening of wine tasting, a silent auction and a visit from Hopkins Children’s pediatric transport helicopter raised more than $17,000.  As another way to help, Dan Wecker’s brothers, Steve and Rob, co-owners of the Iron Bridge Wine Company in Ellicott City, Md., donated the proceeds of wine orders placed at the celebration.

Rounding out some of the local community’s support were the Elkridge Rotary Club and checks from a number of members' businesses, as well as an anonymous donor. “The event has grown every year,” says Donna Wecker. “It’s thrilling to have such support for this cause.”

Today Cameron, 18, who occasionally works for his father in the kitchen, is a high school senior. When he isn’t playing basketball or hanging out with friends, he works at a sporting goods store. “When he was little, on the huge doses of steroids essential to his therapy,” says his father, “he didn’t grow an inch in six years. Outgrowing his shoes, finally, was a huge deal. Now he loves them so much he loves selling them to others.”