Dr. Barbara Ann Dietrick Friedes was born at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 22, 1994. Barbara?s childhood was filled with laughter, joy, friendship, and dance. She was a Disney Princess and loved playing the Princess Belle. Her mother Mary was her first dance teacher, and this love for dance grew with each day. Her father, John, taught her how to fish, and this grew into Barbara?s affinity with mother nature. Barbara could always be found playing ?house? with her best friend and sister, Catherine, or outside in the yard with her big brother John.
She moved around with her father?s Air Force career - this led to Barbara?s warm and caring personality - always being accepting of those new to her. She graduated with honors from Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colorado. She was chosen as a class speaker by her peers and faculty delivering an inspiring speech at Red Rocks Amphitheater encouraging her classmates to always set their goals high, never take the easy path, and never give up on their dreams.
From there she took her talents to Florida State University. Barbara was a beloved sister of the Chi Omega sorority, Captain of the Florida State Golden Girls Dance Team, and was a dedicated and accomplished researcher in the McGraw lab. Her most defining moment at Florida State, is when she met her loving husband, Cole. This relationship quickly grew into an everlasting love, that will last through eternity. In 2016, she graduated Summa Cum Laude and with honors majoring in biology.
Barbara was awarded the Frost Scholarship to pursue a master?s degree in Clinical Embryology from Oxford University, England in 2017. Upon her completion of studies at Oxford, and an extended research study at Cambridge University, she attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University. There, once again, she persevered and excelled in her studies, graduating in 2021.
On May 30, 2021, she married the love of her life, Cole, in Baltimore, Maryland. The night will be forever remembered as an evening filled with love, dancing, and the unforgettable joy of life.
After earning her medical doctorate degree, she couples matched at Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with her husband Cole. She and Cole moved to Philadelphia in the summer of 2021, and began their new chapter together. For the past three years she worked relentlessly as a resident, culminating as Chief Resident in the Pediatrics Program at CHOP. Here, as she has always done, she graced children and their families with love, courage, and hope. At her residency graduation, she was aptly awarded The Frank M. Trojan IV Resident Courage Award in memory of Carolyn Trojan?s son and to the graduating resident who in the opinion of her peers, ?has demonstrated extraordinary support for her colleagues and excels in fostering camaraderie within the residency program.? Her work has touched so many and will always and forever speak for her.
Barbara once wrote, ?I would like to be remembered for being the daughter of an elementary school counselor and an Air Force Officer who raised their children to be kind and compassionate towards others, which led me to become the first in my family to go to medical school and now become a physician.? Barbara will be remembered for all those things ? and her impact has been and will continue to be immensely wide-reaching.
Barbara will always be the epitome of grace, determination, excellence, compassion, and unconditional love.
All proceeds will go directly to children & families on the CHOP oncology unit to spread joy into their lives and help them with necessary resources as they undergo treatment:
https://chop.donordrive.com/campaign/In-Memory-of-Barbara-Friedes
