Brooke Mulford’s legacy shines on at PRMC

wmdt.com / Dani Bozzini.

Custom bronze plaque and bronze children statue of three girls dancing designed and cast by Randolph Rose Collection, Yonkers, NY.

PRMC is making sure a beloved community member is never forgotten. In June, our community lost Brooke Mulford. She lost her fight to neuroblastoma, but her legacy lives on.

Monday would have been Brooke's 13th birthday and although she's no longer with us, PRMC and our community are still celebrating her birthday by dedicating new garden right outside their outpatient center in Brooke's honor.

Brooke's mother, Amy Mulford says, "This is a lasting legacy, this will always be here and people are always going to see her name and see her picture and it help them remember how she lived her life."

While this plaque will now be a permanent fixture at PRMC, it's not the only way she is remembered here.

One of her dreams came to life right here in Salisbury and it continues to spread joy to children here every day.

"She's such a joy to this world and I'm so glad that she can still be able to be one," explains Amy.

Brooke Mulford, a young girl taken too soon, leaving behind a community that will never forget her infectious smile.

"Brooke was a child who was much older than her years and always no matter what she was going through, she was always thinking of others and always wanted to make everybody else’s life easier," says PRMC Foundation President, Denise Billing.

Throughout Brooke's journey fighting neuroblastoma, she was in and out of hospitals.

An experience difficult for a child at any age and that's why she created Brooke's Toy Closet at PRMC back in 2014.

Billing says," She knows how boring it is just to sit and wait so it was her idea for every child who came into the hospital to get a toy."

"It’s a way to keep it and make sure it does stay alive and keep going and children benefit from it," explains Brooke's father Rob Mulford.

And even several months after her passing, Brooke's legacy continues to spread joy. It's something her mother, Amy, says makes it all a little easier.

"I love hearing the stories. I just got one this week from a parent who had to bring her child to the ER really early in the morning and nothing was making him feel better and the nurse brought in a toy from the toy closet for him and it changed everything."

Her father, Rob, explains her reach went past just Delmarva.

"Just amazing, it's what she was, part of the community . It's bigger than the community, she touched people in California, Florida, Boston, Philadelphia, South Jersey," says Rob.

And it's those stories and this toy closet that will keep Brooke's legacy shining on forever.

"I still every single day I get messages from people on Facebook that I've never met before telling me how Brooke touched their lives and this is months later now that I'm still hearing from people and stories on how she inspired them or their children or somebody in their life through their battles," says Amy.

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Stout said, "Bronze is an incredibly durable material that withstands all sorts of weather conditions, and it assures us the sculpture will be around for generations."

Altrusa presented the sculpture to the city to encourage literacy. The group gave the sculpture, "As a symbol of our commitment to the community and to its improvement, both through continued beautification of our Four Corners Park."

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Another sculpture proposed for the park's southeast quadrant did not receive a similar enthusiastic welcome last November.

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Honoring The Late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun

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Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue in celebration and in memory of late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun.

The statue, known as “Achieving the American Dream,” will be erected at 366 Central Avenue in the Heights on Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m., four years to the day since his passing. At its most recent meeting in March, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted a resolution accepting the statue as a donation from the family and friends of Yun. According to the resolution, the bronze statue is meant to beautify the Central Avenue streetscape while simultaneously celebrating the American Dream and Yun’s memory.

The statue was created by the Randolph Rose Collection, who has been committed to creating the finest work of bronze art for homes, gardens, and public spaces since 1972.

The bronze statue sits on a bench approximately 6 feet wide, to be unveiled on the sidewalk on Bowers Street next to 366 Central Avenue at the request of the family and friends of Yun. The resolution states that he chose to begin his American Dream in Jersey City, while sitting on a bench on the corner of Central Avenue and Bowers Street, thus the sentimental statue placement.

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The resolution states that Yun’s memory and journey to achieve the American Dream is an inspiration to the next generation of Jersey City residents seeking to start their own dream in the City. At the March 20 meeting, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh said the council worked to make this happen ahead of the four-year anniversary of his passing on April 6.

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