Books from Babcia: In Memory of Teresa Baginski

Our beloved mom, friend, grandma, and foster grandparent went to her heavenly home January 27, 2024. She endured a long, courageous battle with recurrent breast cancer. However, one wouldn’t know looking at Teresa, that she was a fighter/survivor most of her adult life.

She continually took courageous steps, from the moment she walked onto the plane from Poland to America in 1984 to pursue reuniting her 2 young children with their father, leaving all she ever knew behind. She learned how to survive and thrive in a new world-persevering through many hardships that follow adjusting to a new language, culture and people. Onto her first encounter with cancer, undergoing aggressive treatments to achieve remission. Finally, having her world pulled out from under her with the news her cancer had returned and going through years of additional treatments and surgeries-without ever wavering on her giving spirit.

Those years that were the good years, much of her time was spent being a foster grandparent at surrounding schools. It brought her so much joy and gave her purpose, allowing her to thrive, despite silently battling her health issues. She gleamed when she talked about the kids/staff she connected with-they became family. Babcia Teresa is how many of the children addressed her, which she adored, as Babcia means Grandma in Polish. It was such a difficult goodbye for her when she had to cease her foster duties, after over a decade of service, due to her declining health.

If I can say some truths about mom, she was the humblest and most giving person I knew. She really asked for nothing in return except for what we all yearn for-love! Any moment she could enjoy with her family/grandchildren-be it through a text, skype, or what’s app chat, were precious to her and fed her heart. She would say, “Oh, you filled my heart bucket”!

It’s taken some time for us to formulate this but what better day to kick it off than on her birthday! I get the privilege to announce via her family and friends, opportunity to continue Teresa’s giving spirit by creating this fund in her memory. We hope to raise $1000 towards books to be gifted to St Joseph’s Catholic School in her hometown of Beatrice, NE. Funds can be provided directly here or to the school. Thank you for your support.