This is a story that took place over 20 years ago, but it will still bring tears to your eyes.
The folks at Gerber took on a special client. Though he was a teenager, he actually needed special baby formula to stay alive. The company stopped making the formula in 1985, but they agreed to produce it again free of charge.
Raymond Dunn Jr. was born with a smaller than average head and brain. At 15-years-old, he only weighed 31 pounds. He was born blind and could not speak.
Just keeping Raymond alive was a challenge. Since he was five, he had barely been able to consume anything other than the special formula. Though the family tried many other types, everything else made him sick.
When Gerber stopped producing the formula, the Dunn family said, “We scrounged around for every can of the stuff that was in existence.” That even included cans which were past the expiration date. Their only focus was on keeping their son alive.
At that time, Gerber offered their recipe to any other company that wanted to make the formula for free. There were no takers.
Eventually Gerber just ran out of the formula. At that point, Carol Dunn, Raymond’s mother jumped into action.
She wrote letters to business leaders and political figures such as former-president Bush, Donald Trump and the Princess of Wales. Nobody was able to help. Again she called on Gerber.
Some of the employees felt badly about deserting Raymond in his hour of need. They told their bosses they could put the equipment and ingredients (including beef hearts) together and make small amounts of MBF for Raymond.
Unfortunately, at 20 years of age, Raymond finally passed away. Carol Dunn said she had no regrets. She said, “I’m proud he was my son. God gave me that honor. I wouldn’t have traded it.”