Campaign magazine Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

PERSEVERANCE

After battling leukemia for two and a half years, Ellory is now a cancerfree fifth grader. Learn how Children’s Hospital Colorado is working to cure childhood cancer.

Page 6

INSIDE Ideas take flight at the Center for Innovation, page 10 The pioneers of fetal surgery, page 12 Children’s Gala, an affair to remember, page 21

Today, more than ever before, our mission of giving children healthy futures is within reach.

CAMPAIGN GOAL:

Courage is…The Campaign to Transform Children’s Health is the most ambitious philanthropic effort in the history of Children’s Hospital Colorado. This momentous Campaign is an opportunity for the community to partner with us to transform the future of pediatric medicine and promote healthier communities across the region.

With your help, Children’s Colorado is poised to make strategic investments in people and programs that will advance pediatric health care in unprecedented ways.

Will you join us?

Visit www.courageis.org for more information

$400

million

$300M Donations as of 10/31/16

$261M $200M

Read Eugene's story, page 20

$100M

Thank you to the Courage is... Campaign Co-Chairs

Laura Barton

Barth and Maureen Whitham

Cille and Ron Williams

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The biannual Courage is... magazine is a publication of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated solely to advancing the mission of Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Editors: Megan Lane, Bridget Richards Contributors: Steve Winesett, Erin Bodine, Sydney Pope, Anna Pohlad Design: Tim Giesen, Straightline Design To opt out of mailings from Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, please call 720-777-1700.

INSIDE

The Pioneers of Fetal Surgery The Colorado Fetal Care Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado treats patients at their most vulnerable state: before they’re born. Page 12

COVER STORY

With donor support, Children’s Hospital Colorado led the effort to develop the first new childhood leukemia drug in more than a decade. Page 6

10 Cultivating Breakthroughs

New Center for Innovation fosters discoveries that save lives

14 Voices of Courage

We asked our patients, “What does courage mean to you?”

16 2016 Highlights

News from Children's Hospital Colorado

18 Coming Soon:

A New Hospital

Southern Colorado expansion will give more kids access to world-class care

21 Red Carpet Worthy

Community comes together at the 39th annual Children’s Gala www.courageis.org

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COURAGE DEFINED

Hand in Hand Giving strength and support when it’s needed most

Interruptions are a part of life. Most are simply small inconveniences or minor frustrations, but every now and then, an interruption comes along that really throws a wrench into things.

Sometimes, interruptions change our entire life.

The past 12 months for me have been filled with a number of significant interruptions. These unwanted disruptions have reminded me that it’s important to have someone beside me during these times, to help me when I need support. To listen and offer comfort and advice. But mostly just to be there.

We can always respond to life’s interruptions with greater strength with someone beside us.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our team knows this well.

Each day, our compassionate physicians and nurses meet families whose lives have been interrupted by the illness or injury of their child. These families did not expect these interruptions and often feel completely overwhelmed.

We walk beside parents as they reel from the instability that the illness and injury of their children bring to their lives. We stand beside them while they regain their steadiness and recover their own strength to face the challenges ahead.

We bring our strength, experience and humble expertise to encourage them with courage and determination as they regain their own strength.

We do this – and have done so for more than 100 years – because we believe that having strong and healthy children is the greatest asset any community, or country, can have.

You are a partner with us in this noble mission. Your generosity helps us serve the children and young people in our community and enables us to stand with them when they need it most.

You may never meet these children, or you may already know them quite well because they are your own. Either way, you stand beside us as we care for these children while they face the most challenging interruptions of their lives.

We are grateful for your partnership. More importantly, these children and young people are grateful for your partnership.

Courage thrives here…your courage thrives here!

Steve Winesett President and CEO, Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation

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Courage is...

IN HER OWN WORDS Anissa loves to smile, but it wasn't always that way. She was born with a cleft lip, a condition in which the lip does not fully form before birth, leaving an opening that can affect speech, hearing and appearance.

Anissa has undergone eight procedures at Children’s Hospital Colorado to repair her cleft. Today, at age 15, she’s helping other kids learn to accept themselves for who they are.

What Courage Means to Me

by Anissa Ibarra Courage is doing something to change the world’s perspective.

I always knew I was born different.

Growing up, most people didn’t know what a cleft lip was, which made it difficult for me to make friends. I was bullied a lot at school. Back then, I used to walk with my head down to hide my cleft. I never smiled.

But being bullied taught me how to persevere. I made it through the hard times with the support of my doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado. They encouraged me to attend a camp for kids with cleft lips and cleft palates, where I made wonderful friends who inspired me to tell my story. I discovered that I wasn’t alone.

Since then, I’ve learned to accept myself.

It took a lot of courage to step out of my comfort zone, but today, I walk with my head held high. I’ve even started speaking publicly about having a cleft.

And I smile all the time!

Today, I want to help other kids with clefts learn to accept themselves for who they are. I don’t want anyone to let their disability hold them back. I want people to know that being different is something to be proud of.

Anissa www.courageis.org

5

At the

Forefront of Pediatric

Preeminent Physician-Scientists at Children’s Hospital Colorado Set the

Meet

ELLORY

Animal Lover. Math Whiz.

Cancer Survivor.

After her leukemia diagnosis, Ellory spent two and a half years undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She lost her hair three times and spent more days in the hospital than she can count.

But with the help of a cancer-fighting army of caregivers equipped with the latest research and technology, Ellory’s leukemia is now in remission. Today, with the support of our donors, we’re working to keep it that way – for Ellory and thousands of other children just like her.

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Cancer Research

Standard for New Therapies

Birthdays have always been a big deal for Ellory. But this year took the cake.

When Ellory turned 11 in November, it was the first time in three years that she celebrated her birthday outside the hospital. More significantly, she commemorated another year of life – no small feat for a young leukemia survivor who endured 850 days of chemotherapy as part of her treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

While Ellory’s leukemia is now in remission, thousands of other children’s cancer battles are ongoing. But with the help of new therapies pioneered at Children’s Colorado, there is more hope for these patients than ever before.

Children’s Colorado is home to a cancer-fighting army of caregivers who are leading cutting-edge research to cure childhood leukemia – and to rapidly develop new cancer drugs and treatments for children who urgently need them.

“These kids can’t wait,” says Dr. Lia Gore, Chief of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Colorado, who has been a pediatric oncologist for more than 15 years.

The need for pediatric research An estimated 15,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and 1 in 5 who are diagnosed will die from the disease within five years. In the United States, cancer is currently the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15.

Despite these staggering statistics, government funding for pediatric cancer research is woefully low. The federally-funded National Cancer Institute spends just 4 percent of its budget on pediatric cancer research – the other 96 percent is dedicated to adult cancer studies.

Experience Ellory’s courageous journey through cancer treatment in photos.

As a result, new pediatric cancer treatments have stagnated, even as other medical advancements have seen rapid progress. Over the past 26 years, the FDA has approved only four pediatric cancer drugs, compared to more than 100 new adult cancer drugs. Moreover, an estimated half of all chemotherapy drugs currently used to treat childhood cancers are more than 25 years old.

www.courageis.org

7

First new drug in a decade With the help of philanthropic partners, physicianscientists at Children’s Colorado are on the cutting edge of pediatric cancer research that is leading to promising new treatments.

Dr. Gore led a globe-spanning team of 20 hospitals that developed a new leukemia drug, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Called blinatumomab, the drug targets acute lymphoblastic leukemia – the most common form of childhood cancer. The results have been impressive: widespread remissions and very few of the typical side effects of chemotherapy.

Pharmaceutical company Amgen Inc. is now distributing the drug under the name BLINCYTO®.

The drug is the first new treatment option for childhood leukemia to be approved by the FDA since 2004. And with decreases in federal funding, it never would have happened without the support of donors, who provided critical funding to support Dr. Gore’s research and collaboration

“No place was better equipped to handle our daughter’s care than Children’s Hospital Colorado. Not only are the caregivers wonderful, they also have the latest technologies in cancer treatment.”

- Joy, Ellory’s mother

efforts. Dr. Gore is chairholder of the Ergen Family Chair in Pediatric Cancer and the Robert J. and Kathleen A. Clark Endowed Chair for Pediatric Cancer Therapeutics.

“The children who enrolled in this drug trial had undergone many prior regimens of therapy,” says Dr. Gore. “The fact that a single drug could put a patient with such a resistant disease into remission is quite remarkable and very promising.”

Blinatumomab uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer by helping healthy T cells bind to malignant leukemia cells.

Dr. Lia Gore It’s a treatment approach known as immunotherapy, and it’s far less toxic than traditional chemo, which wipes out the body’s healthy immune system along with the cancer cells, making patients highly susceptible to illness.

“The body’s own immune system is most effective in fighting disease,” explains Dr. Gore. "We just have to give it the proper chance."

No time to lose Children’s Colorado researchers are working every day to find less toxic, less invasive pediatric cancer treatments. And that could mean a future where cancer is effectively treated without chemotherapy.

The approval process for new pediatric cancer drugs is cumbersome to say the least. Between rigorous bureaucracy and prohibitive development costs, it can take a decade or more to make a drug available to all patients – not just those enrolled in clinical trials. For Dr. Gore, that’s simply too long.

“Ten years ago, it took an average of seven years for a new cancer drug to get from testing in adults to use in children,” she says. “That’s just not acceptable, which is why we are working hard to accelerate the research and approval process.”

Today, through advocacy, collaboration and aggressive clinical trials, Children’s Colorado has been instrumental in decreasing the time it takes to get new treatments to kids who need them – in some cases, shortening the process to one year or less.

Steve Winesett, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, says that philanthropy is essential to getting new treatments from the laboratory to the bedside.

“Children’s Colorado is at the forefront of some of the most promising pediatric cancer research of our time,” explains Winesett. “But we simply don’t

have the funding to support all of the studies we need to do. That’s why community support is vital. By partnering with donors who care as deeply as we do about eradicating childhood cancers, we’ll continue to pioneer new cancer breakthroughs that impact the lives of children here and around the world.”

Watch a video about transformative cancer research at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

A World-Class Medical Team Imagine your child is diagnosed with cancer and you’re seeking a pediatric oncologist. If your child’s life were at stake, you wouldn’t want a good pediatric oncologist. You wouldn’t even want great. You would want the best in the world.

So much of Children’s Hospital Colorado’s success is guided by our team of preeminent pediatric experts. It’s one of the many reasons why the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children’s Colorado is consistently ranked among the top 10 pediatric oncology programs in the country. Whether it’s finding cures for diseases or achieving best-in-the-nation clinical outcomes, our vision for transforming child health relies on our ability to build an exceptional medical team.

Highly-skilled pediatric specialists are in demand across the country, leading to ever-increasing, fierce competition for top medical talent.

We believe our kids deserve access to the very best, which is why building an unrivaled team of the brightest minds in medicine and science is a key priority of Courage is… The Campaign to Transform Children’s Health. With the help of generous community partners, Children’s Colorado can continue to compete for – and retain – world-class doctors and caregivers who are transforming the future of pediatric medicine.

One such renowned expert is Dr. Michael Verneris, who was recently named

‘The Best in the World’ Director of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy at Children’s

Colorado. Recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America four times, Dr. Verneris’ groundbreaking discoveries in blood and bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy have set the standard of care worldwide and saved thousands of children’s lives.

Dr. Verneris was influenced to bring his innovative research and exceptional patient care to Children’s Colorado because of the collaborative clinical and scientific environment on the Anschutz Medical Campus, which will allow him to further amplify his impact.

“We are thrilled to have attracted Dr. Verneris to Children’s Colorado,” says Dr. Lia Gore, Chief of the CCBD. “He is one of the best in the world, and with his leadership, Children’s Colorado is positioned to continue our exceptional patient care and become a world leader in bone marrow transplant and cell therapy research.”

Dr. Michael Verneris

Bringing the highest caliber talent to Children’s Colorado is possible with the support of generous donors. With your partnership, you can ensure that we have an all-star medical team to make a difference in kids’ lives every day.

Contact us at info@childrenscoloradofoundation.org to find out more.

www.courageis.org

9

Turning IDEAS

into Health Care Realities

R

At Children’s Hospital Colorado’s new Center for Innovation, inventions have the potential to enrich and save lives

esearch and innovation are key to reimagining the future of child health. But it takes significant resources to transform an idea into a marketable pediatric health care product that can transform lives. That’s where the new Children’s Hospital Colorado Center for Innovation comes in.

Launched earlier this year at Children’s Colorado, the Center for Innovation is a hub for innovators. It’s a place where creative, entrepreneurial caregivers can turn their ideas into groundbreaking health care innovations – all with comprehensive support from startup experts and venture specialists.

The team at Children’s Colorado spends every day on the frontlines of pediatric medicine, so it

10

Courage is...

only makes sense that they would have ideas to improve treatment and care. Now, with the help of educational programs and resources at the Center for Innovation, hospital staff have the opportunity to turn their ideas into products and services that will impact children’s lives.

“We’re excited to establish an infrastructure to develop innovations that will transform children’s health in our region and beyond,” said Gil Peri, Chief Strategy Officer at Children’s Colorado.

Whether it’s a medical device, diagnostic tool, digital health technology or safety improvement, Children’s Colorado staff now have a platform for submitting all types of ideas to the Center for Innovation, where they are evaluated for commercial viability. The Center then

INNOVATION by the Numbers

SUPPORT THE

Since launching six months ago, the Center for Innovation at Children’s Hospital Colorado is already making rapid progress in pioneering pediatric health care discoveries.

200+

Employees have attended Center for Innovation workshops

50+ Entrepreneurial ideas submitted to date

1

Entrepreneur-in-Residence to provide mentorship to innovators

One

1 of 8 pediatric

hospitals nationwide with an innovation program

Contract executed to develop a new health care product

helps innovators establish a clear path for venture development – from incubation and proof of concept to acceleration and product launch. Guidance on the patent process and intellectual property resources is also available.

Moreover, the Center for Innovation helps to identify funding opportunities and foster industry collaborations, enabling innovators to quickly bring their cuttingedge health care innovations to the frontlines of clinical care with the support of mentors and advisers.

According to Steve Winesett, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, philanthropy is critical to the Center for Innovation’s success.

“When it comes to pediatric medical breakthroughs, time is of the essence,” said Winesett. “By supporting our Innovation Fund, generous donors are giving our innovators the resources to accelerate the pace of discovery like never before. Because the faster we can develop a life-saving product or device, the more children we can help.”

10 Patents pending

NEXT BIG IDEA Want to be a part of the next big thing in pediatric medicine? Contact us at 720-777-1700 to find out how you can support the Center for Innovation’s entrepreneurial inventors and groundbreaking discoveries through the Innovation Fund.

A Safer Ride

Center for Innovation helps EMT develop a life-saving transport product for preemies As an EMT and respiratory therapist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Justin Misuraca saw first-hand how precarious it could be to transport a premature baby via ambulance. Because these patients are so fragile, the unavoidable bumps and jolts of an ambulance ride can cause distress or, in rare cases, even injury.

Misuraca wanted to find a way to keep his tiniest patients safe during transport.

That’s when he had an idea. By creating a suspension system within a newborn incubator, he could stabilize and protect these babies during ambulance transports.

EMT Justin Misuraca explains his preemie transport invention at the Center for Innovation launch event.

So Misuraca designed a suspension system prototype to protect the precious cargo within a newborn incubator, including a special mattress to enhance stability. Now, with help from the Children’s Colorado Center for Innovation, his goal is to retrofit every transport incubator in the country with his suspension system.

The Center for Innovation has been providing Misuraca with business plan training and industry connections to help make his dream a reality. What started as one caregiver’s idea now has the potential to minimize transport distress and injuries for thousands of premature infants every year.

Misuraca’s invention exemplifies what the new Center for Innovation is designed to do: enrich and save children’s lives by providing Children’s Colorado innovators with the resources to develop their ideas into transformative products. www.courageis.org

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SURGERY

at its Most Intricate The Colorado Fetal Care Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado treats patients at their most vulnerable stage: before they’re born.

It’s an unimaginable scenario for an expectant parent: a routine ultrasound reveals that your unborn baby has spina bifida. This birth defect occurs when there is an incomplete closing of the backbone, leaving the spinal cord exposed.

In severe cases, babies born with spina bifida require a cerebral shunt to drain fluid from their brains, while many others suffer from nerve damage and paralysis. But at Children’s Hospital Colorado, spina bifida can now be corrected in-utero by surgically closing the spinal cord opening, significantly reducing the need for a shunt – and the risk of serious complications in the future.

Renowned fetal surgeons at Children’s Colorado have successfully performed dozens of spina bifida procedures on unborn babies with some of the best outcomes in the nation. And last year, the Colorado Fetal Care Center became the first in the world to use 3D printing technology to fabricate the corrective patches before fetal surgery. Each patch is customized to the patient based on computer models assembled from a fetal MRI. This innovation, pioneered at Children’s Colorado, has dramatically reduced the time required to complete the procedure, making the surgery much safer for both mom and baby.

With patients from 45 different states, the Colorado Fetal Care Center is one of the most highly regarded and busiest fetal surgery programs in the nation.

Donors make a difference Established in 2011, the Sandy Wolf Chair in Maternal Fetal Surgery provides critical funding that has enabled Children’s Colorado to make extraordinary strides forward in maternal-fetal medicine.

Today, with the help of donors like Sandy, we’re a leader in groundbreaking in-utero interventions that are saving babies’ lives.

Learn what inspired Sandy Wolf’s gift, page 17

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Courage is...

Since opening in 2011, the Colorado Fetal Care Center team at Children’s Colorado has overseen more than 500 deliveries of high-risk babies.

Using 3D computer models and a fetal MRI, Children’s Colorado fabricates custom-sized patches to surgically correct spina bifida in-utero.

Life-saving interventions on the tiniest of patients are possible because of gifts from our donors.

Your support fuels innovation, world-class talent and – most importantly – hope.

Care Up Close Interested in taking a tour of Children’s Hospital Colorado? Call us at 720-777-1700 to see for yourself how we’re changing lives.

www.courageis.org

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Voices OF COURAGE

WHAT DOES

COURAGE MEAN TO YOU?

To me, courage means standing up for myself and achieving my goals.”

Kalena, age 17, has autism and was non-verbal until the age of 5.

Today, she’s a high school honor student who loves to scuba dive, surf and swim.

To me, courage means to push your boundaries – to put yourself in an environment that is uncomfortable.

And when you start to get comfortable, you move on to the next adventure!”

Sam, age 17, suffered an in-utero stroke that significantly weakened the right side of his body.

Today, he’s an avid skier and rock climber who never lets his medical challenges hold him back.

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Courage is...

Kalena

Sam

Courage to me means overcoming a great obstacle.”

Nolan, age 14, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 10.

Today, after learning to administer his own feeding tube treatments, his disease is in full remission.

Nolan

Courage is more powerfuller than anything in the universe.”

Merek

“Courage is a word that I live by. It means having the strength to face adversity, no matter how hard it gets. Courage is fighting for what you want. Courage is necessary for living a fulfilled life.”

Jordan, age 15, suffered a sudden heart attack while playing basketball at age 12.

Today, she’s back on the court and living life to its fullest.

Jordan

Merek, age 8, suffered a severe break to his humerus bone three years ago.

Today, after intense physical therapy, he is a Lego®-loving third grader.

www.courageis.org

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Children’s Hospital Colorado Makes News in 2016 Children’s Colorado named one of the best in the country, again U.S. News & World Report named Children’s Hospital Colorado to its 2016-17 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, placing Children’s Colorado among the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation. Four medical specialty areas were ranked among the top 10, including Diabetes & Endocrinology (No. 4), Orthopedics (No. 7), Cancer (No. 9) and Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (No. 10). For more than two decades, Children’s Colorado has been ranked among the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

Heart Institute recognized for excellence in cardiac surgery The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, an organization representing more than 7,300 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide, has recognized Children’s Colorado with a prestigious 3-star rating (out of 3 possible stars). This rating means that our heart surgery outcomes and patient survival rates are in the top 5 percent of all pediatric heart programs across the country. Out of 113 hospitals, Children’s Colorado is one of only six hospitals in the country that received a 3 star rating.

Patient receives magnetic rods to elongate spine in pioneering procedure

Dr. Sumeet Garg

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Courage is...

Children with spinal muscular atrophy, an inherited neurological disorder, often develop severe scoliosis or curvature of the spine. Eventually, these kids may require rods to be implanted into their torso to control the curvature of their spines, and the rods need to be surgically replaced every six months. But a breakthrough at Children’s Colorado may minimize invasive rod replacement surgeries. In a first-of-its-kind procedure, Dr. Sumeet Garg, a spine specialist and orthopedic surgeon, recently bracketed magnetically controlled growth rods to the spine of a 10-year-old patient named Ryan, who has spinal muscular atrophy.

The new procedure will attempt to lengthen Ryan’s spine magnetically – without continued surgeries – offering great hope for children with severe scoliosis.

Children’s Colorado acquires the first ROSA™ surgical robot in the region In late 2015, Children’s Colorado announced the newest member of the Neuroscience Institute: ROSA™, an innovative robot that assists with neurosurgery. Children’s Colorado is the first hospital in the Rocky Mountain region to install the ROSA™ platform and is one of only 26 centers in the United States to offer the latest technology in roboticassisted neurosurgery.

ROSA™ makes pediatric brain surgery less invasive and offers many benefits, such as smaller incisions, lower infection risk, less pain medication, and the potential of not having to shave a child’s head for surgery.

Sandy Wolf Gives Mothers and Babies New Hope Sandy Wolf’s commitment to Children’s Hospital Colorado is deeply personal. More than 40 years ago, when she was 25 and pregnant with twin boys, she suffered an unthinkable loss. Both of her babies, Michael and Matthew, died at birth.

with Dr. Liechty as inaugural chairholder.

Sandy continues to work full-time to fund the endowment, and says that she will continue to work “to ensure that other people don’t have to endure what I went through.”

“My heart was so broken,” said Sandy. “No matter how long it’s been or how many more children you have, you never stop grieving what should have been yours.”

“If these procedures had been available 40 years ago, my twins would be alive today,” said Sandy. “In a way, this gift has brought my life full circle.”

But in her grief, Sandy found a purpose. Through philanthropy, she wanted to give babies access to lifesaving interventions that weren’t available for her twins – and prevent other families from experiencing the devastating pain of losing a child.

“I had searched throughout my lifetime to find a place for my twin boys to rest in my heart,” said Sandy. “In 2011, I received a call from Jen Darling at Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. She told me about a program that could save babies’ lives and lessen the need for intense medical care at birth.”

Sandy Wolf celebrates her endowment at an investiture event in 2015

Jen told Sandy about new advances in fetal surgery being developed at Children’s Colorado. These groundbreaking in-utero procedures could save the life of an unborn child and prevent a host of medical issues after birth.

Sandy also learned about a new fetal surgeon who was being recruited to Children’s Colorado: Dr. Ken Liechty, a renowned expert in maternal-fetal medicine.

Dr. Ken Liechty, Chairholder of the Sandy Wolf Endowed Chair in Maternal Fetal Surgery

Since Sandy made her generous gift, Children’s Colorado has become home to one of the foremost fetal surgery programs in the nation. Her gift has enabled Dr. Liechty and his team to make extraordinary strides forward in maternal-fetal medicine, and Children’s Colorado now boasts some of the best survival rates in the country for fetal surgery (see page 12).

Sandy isn’t the first in her family to support Children’s Colorado. Over the past several decades, her parents have supported a multitude of hospital programs and helped to establish Children’s Colorado’s first

at Children’s “ Anyone who establishes an endowment in a safe Hospital Colorado is putting their money in our children.” investment – and that’s an investment – Sandy Wolf, Donor

mental health unit through The Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation. They contributed a cardiac life support system in one of the hospital’s original Flight for Life helicopters, as well as numerous beloved sculptures to the hospital’s art collection. The Wolf Family Resource Library they funded offers a wealth of information for patients and families.

Sandy is proud of her family’s long tradition of giving to help children and families.

“I learned about the miracles that Dr. Liechty and his team could accomplish with a mom and baby in-utero,” said Sandy. “My excitement was like I won the lottery. I could finally have an explanation. I could finally have a place to put the pain of losing my boys.”

“I don’t just love Children’s Colorado because I had a life-altering experience,” said Sandy. “The best part of giving is seeing how much progress is being made and knowing that you’re giving families hope. It doesn't matter if you give $20 or $2 million, giving is always a sacrifice and every bit makes a difference.”

In 2011, Sandy made a $2 million gift to establish the Sandy Wolf Endowed Chair in Maternal Fetal Surgery

Donate today at www.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/give www.courageis.org

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S O U T H E R N CO LO R A D O

coming in 2018

World-class within her reach.

Children’s Hospital Colorado is further expanding services in Colorado Springs with a new hospital, giving children in southern Colorado access to the best pediatric health care, closer to home.

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C

hildren’s Hospital Colorado has defined and delivered pediatric health care excellence for more than 100 years. And soon, southern Colorado families will be able to fully rely on the resources of this amazing institution in their own backyard.

Children’s Colorado is building a new, state-of-the-art pediatric hospital in Colorado Springs, while also continuing to expand partnerships to improve the health of children across the region. The new Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs broke ground in November 2016 “When your child is sick, and is set to open in late 2018. The you want to know that 280,000-square-foot facility will be home to southern Colorado’s only the doctors and facilities dedicated pediatric emergency room are the best. Having a and operating rooms just for kids.

With your support of Courage is….

The Campaign to Transform Children’s Health, you can help us give the quarter of a million children who call southern Colorado home access to the resources and expertise of one of the top children’s hospitals in the country.

state-of-the-art pediatric hospital right here in Colorado Springs will be a wonderful thing for local families.”

– Nina, Brooke’s mother

Brooke, 11 In emergency situations, you want your child to have access to the very best care. No one knows this better than Brooke’s mother. When Brooke was born, she was blue from lack of oxygen, and doctors soon discovered that her aorta was far too narrow. At just 5 days old, she was taken by ambulance from Colorado Springs to Children’s Hospital Colorado, where a team of pediatric experts performed emergency heart surgery. The surgery was a success, and today Brooke is a healthy, active 11-year-old.

Meet Three of our Southern Colorado Patients Brooke, Davien and Eugene

Davien, 8 When Davien wasn’t talking by age 2, his mother, Jennifer, knew in her gut that something was wrong. Several local pediatricians assured her that he’d likely learn to talk on his own timeline, but Jennifer persisted until Davien was referred for speech therapy through Children’s Hospital Colorado. That’s where doctors discovered that Davien had an extra 15th chromosome – an extremely rare condition that can cause learning disabilities and impaired motor skills. Today, after undergoing multiple therapies at the Children’s Colorado Briargate facility in Colorado Springs, Davien is a thriving, talkative first-grader.

“ It’s amazing to see how far Davien has come, and I have Children’s Colorado to thank for that. I’m very excited for the expansion in Colorado Springs, so that we can have better access to his doctors closer to where we live.”

– Jennifer, Davien’s mother Continued on page 20 www.courageis.org

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S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O

SIX WAYS that your gift transforms children’s health in southern Colorado.

Children in southern Colorado deserve the best pediatric health care, close to home. That’s why Children’s Hospital Colorado is building a new pediatric hospital in Colorado Springs. With your investment, you’ll help us expand our services and maximize the number of children we can help. Here’s how your gift makes an impact: Access to the best › The new hospital will provide the region with convenient access to the resources of one of the top children’s hospitals in the country.

Family support › Receiving care closer to home eases the emotional and financial burden on our patients and their families. That decreases stress and accelerates the healing process.

Kid-friendly facilities › Kids aren’t little adults – they need specialized care for their health needs. Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs will have the area’s only pediatric emergency department and surgery suite, with equipment and care uniquely tailored to children.

GET INVOLVED Visit childrenscoloradofoundation.org/ southerncolorado to learn how you can help bring world-class care to the children and families of southern Colorado.

Economic growth › The new hospital will bring job growth and scientific advancement to southern Colorado.

Pediatric expertise › Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs will be staffed by experts who specialize in the needs of children. They know how to treat kids better than anyone, because they have focused their careers in pediatric medicine.

Research for better care › Our physicians are part of one of the country’s leading academic medical centers on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Kids in southern Colorado will soon have direct access to care informed by cutting-edge research, delivered by the top minds in medicine.

Born with a severe heart defect, Eugene was just 3 months old when he underwent the first of three open-heart surgeries. His mother spent more than a year commuting between her home in Colorado Springs and Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, where her son was hospitalized. Eugene has since faced numerous surgeries and complications, but today, at age 5, his health has improved remarkably. His mother credits his incredible progress to the team at Children’s Colorado.

“We weren’t sure that Eugene would survive – let alone make it this far. The nurses, the doctors and the surgeons at Children’s Colorado are lifesavers. They make miracles happen.”

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– Eunice, Eugene’s mother

Courage is...

Eugene, 5

Community comes together at

Children’s Gala

1,400 community members from across the Rocky Mountain region gathered on October 1, 2016, for an elegant celebration benefiting the patients and families of Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Children’s Gala brought together generous donors for an incredible evening that raised nearly $2 million for the hospital.

KUSA-TV anchor Cheryl Preheim was joined by her family at Children’s Gala to share their inspiring story. Cheryl's son Joshua underwent heart surgery at age 7, just before she discovered that her youngest son, Joseph, had a kidney defect.

“The staff at Children’s Colorado loves our kids like their own,” said Cheryl. “And that’s something you cannot put a price on.”

Todd Park Mohr

Headlining this year’s event was Colorado native band Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The band performed a highenergy set that had guests dancing to hits like “Bittersweet” and “It’s Alright.”

1. Steve Winesett, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, with Jena Hausmann, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado 2. Rick Stoddard, Chair of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation Board of Trustees, with his wife, Janie Stoddard, Special Events Committee Chair 3. Matthew and Stephanie Seebaum, who serves on Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation's Special Events Committee 4. From left: Bruce Benson, President of the University of Colorado, and Marcy Benson, a Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation Trustee; 2016 Children’s Gala hosts Kent Thiry and Denise O’Leary; and Bill Mosher and Molly Broeren, a Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation Trustee

www.courageis.org

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Endowments Update

Donors invest in the future

Generous donors have established 46 endowed chairs at Children’s Hospital Colorado since 1997 as a long-term commitment to our mission. These investments support skilled care while advancing cures and medical breakthroughs.

An endowed chair is the highest honor that Children’s Colorado can bestow on a faculty or staff member, and it exists in perpetuity.

We are grateful to donors for establishing the following endowed chairs, which were celebrated over the past year: The La Cache Endowed Chair for Gastrointestinal, Allergic and Immunologic Disease Inaugural Chairholder: Glenn T. Furuta, MD

The Frederick C. Battaglia Endowed Chair in Neonatology Inaugural Chairholder: Paul J. Rozance, MD

Ed and Jeannette Kerr Family Endowed Chair in Endocrinology Inaugural Chairholder: Sharon H. Travers, MD

Ed and Roxanne Fie Anderson Family Endowed Chair for Breathing Inaugural Chairholder: Robin R. Deterding, MD

Delta Dental of Colorado Endowed Chair in Pediatric Dentistry Inaugural Chairholder: Ulrich Klein, DMD, DDS, MS

Ehst-Hummel-Kaufmann Family Endowed Chair in Inherited Metabolic Disease Inaugural Chairholder: Ken Maclean, PhD (pictured with patient Will Hummel)

For more information on endowments at Children's Colorado, call 720-777-1700.

JOIN US

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Mark your calendars for upcoming special events benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado

Pres en ted by

Pres en ted by

February 9-10, 2017

June 24, 2017

July 22-23, 2017

Tune in to Alice 105.9 to join Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for a special two-day fundraising event. childrenscoloradofoundation.org/ alice4kids

Tackle the 2,700 stairs at U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium during Colorado Springs’ only stair climb race, then enjoy a free family festival. childrenscoloradofoundation.org/ climbforcourage

Join more than 2,000 riders and 300+ volunteers on a two-day bike tour that starts and ends at Copper Mountain Resort. couragetours.com

Courage is...

A gift from your estate can help ensure that

cancer has no future

50 years ago, 9 out of 10 kids

diagnosed with the most common form of childhood cancer did not survive.

Today, through groundbreaking

research, 9 out of 10 children diagnosed with this form of cancer live.

50 years from now, weʹre aiming to

cure childhood cancer altogether.

As we make bold plans for a future without cancer, we need to know about the bold plans you're making for your future.

Photo Credit: Carman Photography

You can make a difference. Notify us if Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation is in your estate plans by returning this form in the enclosed envelope or visiting www.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/notify.

I have included Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation in my will or estate plans.

I intend to leave a gift in my will or estate plans to Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation.

I am considering leaving a gift in my will or estate plans to Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation.

Please contact me to discuss giving options.

Please send me more information.

Name(s) (please print)____________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP___________________________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________________________________________ Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation • P.O. Box 5585 • Denver, CO 80217-9142 • 720-777-1700

Anschutz Medical Campus 13123 E. 16th Avenue, Box 045 Aurora, CO 80045

PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 4773

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH Philanthropy makes a difference in the fight against childhood cancer, page 6

TINY MIRACLES Learn how these patches are saving babies' lives, page 12

Read Davien's story, page 19

Thank you for your generous support

of Children’s Hospital Colorado. This holiday season, please consider including us in your year-end giving. Learn more at www.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/give

www.courageis.org www.childrenscoloradofoundation.org