The board and staff of CABF are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of David Field, age 26, son of CABF co-founders Ruth Field and Rob Field. David was killed on July 24, 2011 in a motorcycle accident. He died doing what he loved.
This loss has a profound impact on CABF because if it weren’t for David and his mom Ruth, there would be no CABF. David’s struggle, and the dearth of knowledge and services about mood disorders in children, motivated Ruth to fight; not only for David, but for hundreds of thousands of other children.
Ruth was a stay-at-home mom, and she reinvented herself to launch a national organization to provide education, support and advocacy for children, adolescents and families on July 1, 1999. At that time, no other national advocacy group served the needs of our families.
The first project was to launch an interactive website at www.bpkids.org. Such a site was pioneering back in the early days of the World Wide Web. She did it not because it was novel, but because it met the needs of parents who desperately needed to educate themselves and connect with other parents in the privacy of their own homes. As a result of her passion for helping others, Ruth went on to earn a Masters in Social Work and her LCSW. After 10 years of service on the CABF board, she currently has a private practice in Highland Park, Illinois.
"CABF exists because Ruth Field, our beloved co-founder, wanted to help her son. She didn't just want to help, she needed to fight for him. And she did. So through CABF, Ruth and David's lives have made countless other families a little less lonely, a little less helpless. When our CABF families have faced tragic circumstances, Ruth's wisdom, compassion, and ideas comforted them and supported them to move forward. Now we are here for Ruth. And we miss David."
-Sheila McDonald, CABF Board President 2006-2009.
"Ruth's love for David and her compassion for all families living with childhood mental illness inspired her founding vision, which has benefitted thousands of CABF families around the globe. Our prayers are with Ruth and her family at this very sad time."
-Jean Davidson Meister, CABF Board President 2009-11
CABF will be forever indebted to the Field family. David’s life has had a profound effect on countless CABF families. May his memory live on through the lives that he touched.