December 2021 Newsletter - Children's Medical Center Foundation

December 2021 | Newsletter

TOGETHER, WE CAN BRING THE MAGIC TO KIDS. Who’s making seasons bright?

Caregivers. Volunteers.

Donors. And patients — like Valeria on page 3.

BRING THE MAGIC!

THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON IS FOUND IN THE PATIENTS WE CARE FOR, THE TEAM MEMBERS WHO INSPIRE US, AND — OF COURSE — THE DONORS WHO SUPPORT US.

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hey come like Santa’s elves on Christmas Eve while patients are tucked in bed, shouldering bags of presents for families to open the next morning.

They decorate hospital

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hallways with festive wreaths — decked with toys and ornaments and tied with curly ribbon.

They encourage customers at their grocery stores to give to Children’s Health℠ during holiday shopping.

And on New Year’s Eve, they celebrate team members and patients with a fireworks celebration, as we ring in a new year.

From Child Life and Social Work to volunteers and

donors, our team members and generous supporters rally each year to make the holiday season special for families in the hospital.

Because together, we can bring magic to kids.

DECEMBER 2021

MEET OUR PATIENTS INSPIRING THE MAGIC to Christmas the first time we were admitted, and I was impressed with how Children’s Health helped you feel the magic and spirit of the holidays. That made an impact on us to give back each holiday season,” Alexa said.

“I’m so glad we put our trust and faith in Children’s Health to take care of Annabella.”

ISACC, 10

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

ANNABELLA, 10

Solid Organ Transplant Annabella and her family don’t know who she would be without the faded scar across her abdomen.

Born with a rare liver disease, Annabella was five months old when she was put on the list for a liver transplant at Children’s Health. And a few months later, her family got the call: There was a new liver for Annabella.

Now 10 years old, this year marks a decade since her life-saving transplant at Children’s Health.

“I remember I was so nervous posttransplant about Annabella doing this or that,” her mom, Alexa, said.

“And whenever I was worried, Dr. Dev Desai would look at me and say, ‘Alexa, we transplanted her so that she could live. Now, you need to let her live.’”

In honor of fellow patients and the team members who cared for Annabella, she and her family help decorate Children’s Health for the holidays each year, sponsoring a tree for the Solid Organ Transplant Clinic.

And this year, Annabella’s artwork inspired the design of a special edition Christopher Radko ornament, sold by the Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center to help raise funds for Children’s Health.

“I remember being in the hospital close

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

Isacc was 5 years old when Karen and her husband, Brett, met him for the first time.

The then-kindergartener — who loves reading and sports, particularly the Dallas Cowboys — had big brown eyes and a sweet toothy grin.

He’d also recently finished a 25-day stay at Children’s Health, where he was being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

New foster parents, Karen and Brett had been caring for Isacc’s younger brother during his hospital admission.

The couple didn’t have biological children, and for years, their life had been just the two of them. But they had space in their house and their hearts to give children a home, even if only temporarily.

Karen and Brett hadn’t planned to foster two children, particularly one with a serious medical condition. They also knew from their extensive foster training that the goal for the boys was — if possible —

reunification with their biological family.

“But then your heart is in it from the getgo,” Karen said. “Once we knew the boys, we loved them from day one.”

Diagnosed with leukemia just before his third birthday, Isacc has been cared for by team members in the Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health for almost half his life, following a relapse in 2019.

Since then, his clinical care has been overseen by the growing oncology team at Children’s Medical Center Plano. He’s spent about 50 nights in the hospital, had two rounds of radiation and weekly chemotherapy treatments.

And this year’s holiday wish: to finish his cancer treatment before Christmas Day.

RANIA, 19

Eating Disorders Rania swirled the black paint around the circle until it was a solid black.

Meant to depict the new moon stage of the lunar phase, it represents a time of new beginnings for the 19-year-old, who is studying physics in college and wants to explore space.

Because as a high school student, Rania spent years wanting to be anyone but herself.

A refugee from war-torn Yemen, Rania’s childhood was chaotic, and she

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struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

Searching for control in an unpredictable world, she focused on one thing she could determine: how much food she ate.

She was 13 years old the first time she was admitted to Children’s Health for behavioral health struggles. And for the next several years, she found treatment and healing from team members in the Children’s Health Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders in Plano.

Eating disorders are not lifestyle choices but serious and sometimes fatal illnesses that cause severe disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors, thoughts and emotions.

They can affect people of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds and genders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

“Regardless of how good or bad I was doing, my doctors, therapists and treatment team never stopped advocating for me,” Rania said. “They never gave up on me.”

Even when she cried from an in-patient bed. Even when she told them how much she wanted to leave.

They told her she was amazing. They told her to take it one step at a time. They told her she was going to recover.

“I haven’t met a lot of Muslim women or men with eating disorders, and that’s something we need to talk about more because I had the privilege of a diagnosis,” she said.

“And now, my goal isn’t to be someone else; it’s just to be me.”

VALERIA, 9

MAGIC IS THE HOPE AND INSPIRATION WE SPREAD TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

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eam members searching for revolutionary cures and treatments.

Clinical staff reiterating, “You can do it.”

Volunteers working countless hours. Pet therapy dogs bringing comfort to kids.

And donors like you supporting us every step of the way.

This holiday season, let’s continue bringing all of these magical moments to kids.

Visit bringmagictochildrens.com to learn about all the ways to support our team members and patients.

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Down Syndrome and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Valeria peered through the blinds from a hospital break room at the sparkly tree, aglow in multi-colored string lights in a courtyard at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Clad in Christmas pajamas and reindeer antlers on her head, she was ready for a visit from the “Big Guy” himself.

Valeria spent most of last year under the care of team members at Children’s Health, after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January 2020.

And that meant the holidays looked different for the then 8-year-old and her mother, Claudia.

There were chemotherapy treatments that caused her thick, dark hair to fall out. There were steroids that made her too tired to leave bed. And there were many nights apart from her dad and 2-year-old little brother.

But there also were Christmas wreaths that adorned hospital hallways from

Women’s Auxiliary volunteers. And even a virtual visit with Santa from her hospital room.

“And for a moment, they made us feel like we weren’t in the hospital, and that we weren’t alone.”

Born with Down syndrome, Valeria already saw a number of specialists at Children’s Health for various conditions like asthma and adenoid and tonsil removal, before she was diagnosed with leukemia.

“At Children’s Health, we didn’t find just doctors and nurses. We found another family,” Claudia said.

And last Christmas, the family was nominated by social workers to participate in the Adopt-A-Family program, where anonymous donors help fulfill a patient family’s Christmas wish list.

On Christmas morning, there was a play kitchen and a dollhouse for Valeria; a push car for her little brother; and a tea set for Claudia.

“We had never received so many gifts. It was very special.”

DECEMBER 2021

MEET OUR MAGIC MAKERS CHRIS KLEINERT

CEO of Hunt Investment Holdings, LLC and Co-CEO of Hunt Consolidated, Inc., host of Reunion Tower Over the Top NYE Fireworks, especially on New Year’s Eve, are magical because of the excitement of what’s to come. Unlike any other moment in the year, once the clock strikes midnight, we enter a new year with eager anticipation of what lies ahead. For us, the fireworks show is our way of giving something back to the community that everyone can enjoy as we collectively look to the new year with excitement.

When searching for an organization to partner with for our annual New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration at Reunion Tower, we knew we wanted to partner with the best, an organization with a stellar reputation and deeply respected within the community.

There was no debate when concluding that we wanted to name Children’s Health as the beneficiary of the show. Children’s Health is all about positivity and potential, and that’s what a fireworks show can represent, too.

ALLISON DOYLE

President, Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Plano The Women’s Auxiliary is very involved during the holidays. We decorate the hospital with these big, beautiful wreaths.

I always enjoy helping hang them around the hospital and hope they bring a smile to patients and their families, along with Children’s Health team members.

We also have our traditional Santa’s Workshop event. Because of COVID-19, we’ve pivoted and created a drive-thru event, and this year, the event features Christmas lights. I can’t wait for the kids to see all the lights.

We know children and families who are in the hospital during the holidays are going through a tough time. Anything we can do to brighten their days and help their families is heartwarming for us. Giving to others is the most magical part of the season.

CORNELIA LESEANE Social Worker, Children’s Medical Center Dallas

As a social worker, I cover patients in general neurology and neuromuscular. A lot of times, the kids I see were diagnosed when they were young, and we see them until they are adults. I like being able to make that early connection with patients and their families and help guide them throughout their life.

One of my favorite parts of being a social worker is participating in the Adopt-AFamily program that the Social Work team hosts each holiday season. We nominate families we have gotten to know through our work with them and match them to donors, who fulfill their Christmas wish lists.

A lot of times, these families have had unimaginable things happen to them throughout the year and feel like they can’t catch a break. And for a lot of the families I work with, there is no treatment or cure for their children’s diagnoses.

To be able to see the parents and kids when they come in their cars to pick up the gifts — with presents swarmed around them and their little faces peeking through the cracks, knowing everything they’ve gone through and things that are to come — it’s a great feeling to be able to help them like this. It’s magical.

FULFILL OUR PATIENTS’ WISH LISTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON E

ach year during the holiday season, the Social Work team at Children’s Health assists patients and families who have experienced financial and CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

emotional hardships associated with their child’s illness. These families need help from people like you to bring magic to their holiday season. Read more

about the Adopt-A-Family Program on Page 8, and visit bringmagictochildrens.com to learn about all the ways to support our patients this season.

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JENNIFER ROADY

Manager of Family Support Services, Children’s Medical Center Plano

CAROLINE ROGERS & JANE ZEPEDA

When I was hired more than a decade ago as a Child Life assistant, I was told that I’d have to work Christmas Day. And since then, I’ve fallen in love with working on Christmas.

At the Plano campus, about a week before Christmas, we set up our Christmas store so families can shop for gifts at no cost for the patient and siblings for whatever holiday they celebrate. And we have some really great gifts for parents and caregivers to choose from. Last year, we received several wooden dollhouses, and other years, we’ve had bikes we’re able to offer. And the great part about it is families aren’t expecting it, and it’s nice to be able to provide this during a stressful time.

We wrap up the gifts and leave them at the nurses’ stations on Christmas Eve, and overnight like Santa, they’ll drop the gifts in the patients’ rooms.

We always tell the families that this is possible because of donations from the community.

When we say we make life better for children, it’s evident in the little things like this that make a difference. In Child Life, this is how we make our mission come to life.

Physician Assistants, Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Medical Center Dallas CAROLINE: We work in pediatric hematology, but most of our time is spent working with our outpatient sickle cell population during their regular appointments. I love this because you begin seeing these kids at birth and until they’re adults, so you get to watch them grow up and get to know their families.

JANE: The holidays are always a special time of year in the hospital, especially the spirit of giving to support our patient families. People are especially generous and empathetic to each other during this time, and I love seeing that. I also love seeing all the twinkling lights strung everywhere. They represent hope, and we always need to have hope.

CAROLINE: Each year, our team also participates in the Adopt-A-Family program that Social Work hosts to help provide gifts during the holidays to patients and families who may not have another way of receiving any presents. That is such a meaningful program to our families and kids. It’s one example of how donations provide the hospital with resources to care for patient families beyond the physical diagnosis.

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LISA ROCCHIO

President, Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Dallas The Women’s Auxiliary funds many critical programs for the hospital, but in addition to that, we oversee volunteer projects such as staff appreciation, family snack baskets, bringing food for families on Mother’s Day, New Year’s Eve and decorating the hospital for the holidays.

I love when you can see the work of our volunteers in the hospital during the holidays, particularly the hanging of the wreaths.

Last year because of COVID-19, we pivoted to host virtual visits with the NorthPark Santa in the hospital, and I’m proud we’re continuing that this year.

COVID-19 has brought a lot of challenges but bringing Santa into patients’ rooms and sharing the joy of the season with these special families is truly a bright spot.

DECEMBER 2021

HAMDY SHALABI

CEO, El Rio Grande Latin Market I own El Rio Grande Latin Market in a partnership with my family. Although we are Americans of Middle Eastern descent, there are many Latin American traditions in our family from our time growing up in Puerto Rico. The menus on our dinner tables are as diverse as our upbringing. Meals can vary from a steak to a falafel wrap or a tropical ceviche.

The first grocery store we opened was on Maple Avenue, just down the street from Children’s Medical Center Dallas. I remember patient families would come into the store because it was close to the hospital, and that’s what inspired us almost a decade ago to give to Children’s Health through point-of-sale campaigns at the cash register.

People are looking for an outlet to give during the holidays. There’s no one more in need than sick children and their families, and we are proud to partner every year with Children’s Health.

READ MORE ABOUT THE STORY OF HAMDY AND EL RIO GRANDE LATIN MARKET’S SUPPORT OF CHILDREN’S HEALTH ON PAGE 13.

HOW CAN YOU BRING THE MAGIC? T

he magic of the holidays is all around us. A smile spreading across a child’s face. The joy families share.

The friendship and fellowship we see across our community. A hot meal shared among loved ones.

Reassurance for people facing adversity.

At Children’s Health, magic is the hope and inspiration we spread to children and families. This holiday season, let’s continue bringing these magical moments to kids.

To learn more about how you can bring the magic to our patients and team members this holiday season, visit bringmagictochildrens.com.

BRING THE MAGIC BY THE NUMBERS supported through our 263 families Adopt-A-Family program in 2020

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on Reunion Tower Ball for 259 lights Over the Top New Year’s Eve Event

HUNDREDS

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

patients treated at Children’s Medical Center Dallas on Christmas Day in 2020 of brightly colored decorations lining hospital hallways

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OUR

SOCIAL WORK TEAM CREATES MAGICAL MOMENTS FOR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES

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hen children receive medical care, they and their families often need support to help cope with everything from financial and logistical pressures to life-changing diagnoses and new realities.

Whatever the needs of the child and family, the Social Work team at Children’s Health works to meet them, connecting families to external and internal resources to ease their burdens; conducting mental health assessments and crisis counseling; helping to deescalate situations; and supporting families to become comfortable in their hospital surroundings.

To best serve the needs of patients and families, programs systemwide feature social workers dedicated specifically to that department, including Hematology/Oncology, Heart, Cystic Fibrosis and NICU. Each year, the Social Work team at Children’s Health assists tens of thousands of patient families in a variety of ways, including through Adopt-A-Family — a holiday gift program that helps families facing hardships have a more meaningful and memorable holiday season.

Social Work services are available every day of the week and every hour of the day, all year long, and are not reimbursable by insurance. Instead, these critical services rely on philanthropy to remain available and to enhance offerings to better serve the increasing number of patient families.

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70,000 4,500+ INCREASED $100,000+

patient encounters annually (approximately) inpatient consults with medical staff each year number of behavioral health-related visits to our Emergency Rooms

in Indigent Family Assistance Funds distributed to help patient families access meals, medications and medical supplies, clothing, transportation and lodging

KEY LIAISON SUPPORT

between many community resources, organizations, and non-profits

programs improve outlook and outcomes for kids, including camps and pet therapy

DECEMBER 2021

SANTA’S ELVES THREE DECADES AGO, SOCIAL WORK LAUNCHED THE ADOPT-A-FAMILY PROGRAM TO CREATE HOLIDAY MAGIC DURING TOUGH TIMES

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he holiday season is a busy time of year, and at Children’s Health, it is no different. Patients and their families come in and out of the hospital.

Physicians and staff members sweep through the halls and into patient rooms.

But for the Social Work department, you can find them behind the scenes, creating holiday magic during tough times.

Social workers in the hospital provide emotional support to families while their children are seeking health care. They’re present during the good times, such as when a child is returning to normalcy. And they’re also there during bad times, such as when a devastating diagnosis may have a longtime effect on a child.

“Every social worker that interacts with our families cultivates meaningful relationships and helps them understand their child’s health care needs,” said Thresa Belcher, Director of Social Work at Children’s Health.

With that in mind, in 1983, two social workers decided to make the holiday season special for a child and their family in hospital. A gift giving program was established for those families who would not be able to have a meaningful holiday without assistance. That year, a collection of gifts was gathered for about 10 families facing unexpected hardship, and the Adopt-A-Family program was brought to life.

“When we first started, it was very, very small,” said Martha Barton, Clinical Social Worker and one of the Adopt-A-Family

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

program coordinators. “One of the reasons the social workers started the program was for the staff at Children’s Health to get to know what some of these families’ lives were like.”

The magic of this program allows families to refocus their time off the health of their child and on their beloved holiday traditions celebrated together. Individuals, families, offices, and community organizations pour in each year to serve as sponsors to these families and give anonymous donations to ensure gifts are under the tree.

The sponsors drop off hundreds of wrapped gifts for families to pick up. And for families who don’t have transportation or a way to pick up their gifts, a former patient father pays it forward by filling up his semi-truck to deliver presents to the hospital and to children’s homes.

The program has grown beyond the imaginable, serving more families every holiday season. In the past year 263 families were adopted by 182 sponsors. Among these sponsors, 94 of them were Children’s Health team members.

“You’re helping people in need, providing something wonderful. Who doesn’t want to help kids? You see the smiles on their faces. The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without Adopt-A-Family,” Martha said.

Interested in learning more about the Adopt-A-Family program?

Email adoptafamily@childrens.com.

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METABOLIC DIFFERENCES IN CANCER CELLS MAY BE DRIVEN

BY CELL OF ORIGIN

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he metabolic differences observed between cancer and normal tissue are often thought to reflect the reprogramming that occurs during cancer formation. New research from the Agathocleous lab suggests some metabolic features of cancer cells might be inherited from the cell type of origin, usually a stem or progenitor cell. These findings, supported by Children’s Medical Center Foundation donors, offer a new way to think about cancer cell-specific metabolism and could open new avenues of treatment.

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o test the theory that metabolic requirements can be inherited from the normal stem or progenitor cell of origin, researchers used mice to study two types of leukemias that are driven by the same mutation (Pten deletion) but arise from different cells. The first, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), originates from double positive (DP) T-cell progenitors.

The second, a myeloid leukemia or preleukemia, arises from blood stem cells (HSCs)

or myeloid progenitors. One key difference between the two cell types of origin was how they used glucose. DP progenitors and T-ALL cells used glucose by oxidizing it through the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), whereas HSCs, myeloid progenitors, and other blood-forming cells did not.

When scientists deleted the PDH enzyme in mice, the number of DP progenitor cells decreased and the development of Ptendeficient T-ALL was completely blocked.

Loss of PDH did not affect HSCs, myeloid progenitors, or the development of Ptendeficient myeloid neoplasms.

Together, these findings suggested that the metabolic requirements of these leukemia cells mirror those of the normal stem or progenitor cell of origin independently of mutation that drives leukemia formation.

When researchers explored the mechanism by which PDH is required for T-cell progenitor and T-ALL development, they found T-cell progenitors needed PDH to metabolize the high amounts of glucose they were taking up compared with other blood stem or progenitor cells.

“Our results were particularly surprising for the metabolism of HSCs because the current consensus is that HSCs take up more glucose than other blood cells. We set up methods to trace metabolites in HSCs for the first time to understand what nutrients are used by HSCs, and we saw HSCs take up less glucose than other blood-forming cells. Surprisingly, the PDH enzyme is not required for HSC growth or tissue regeneration of most blood cells we studied except for DP T-cell progenitors and the corresponding T-ALLs they produce,” said Michalis Agathocleous, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor at Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) and lead author on the study.

Currently, comparing cancer cells and their corresponding normal tissue is the standard in the field. However, findings in this paper indicate that if cancer cells and their cell of origin share many metabolic requirements, then these studies could primarily be showing metabolic changes caused by cell-of-origin effects, rather than induced by cancer formation. Researchers in the Agathocleous lab suggest it may be necessary to compare the metabolism of cancer cells to the metabolism of their cell of origin, when known, to uncover cancerspecific metabolic features.

10 YEARS OF DISCOVERY AT CRI

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or the last decade, the faculty and researchers at Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have made innovative discoveries in the areas of regenerative medicine, metabolism and cancer.

And with the support of generous donors, they have built a biomedical research powerhouse that is changing

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the medical landscape. These donors knew that an investment in research was an investment in the future.

In the last 10 years, CRI Director Sean Morrison has recruited some of the world’s top researchers to make discoveries and to train the next generation of scientists.

And he built a culture where innovation is encouraged, and

failures are expected.

As they head into the next decade of discovery, the scientists at CRI have lofty goals: They want to keep recruiting outstanding researchers.

They want to keep making discoveries. And they want to cure people who otherwise wouldn’t have been cured.

Congratulations on your 10th anniversary, CRI!

Learn about CRI’s research and how to become an investor at childrens.com/cri.

DECEMBER 2021

MEET DR. SHIHAN WU

CRI’S NEWEST FACULTY MEMBER

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r. Shihan Wu recently became the institute’s 10th faculty member and principal investigator.

He earned his Ph.D. at the Zhongshan School of Medicine at Sun-Yat-sen University in 2014 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego, under Dr. Paul Mischel’s mentorship. At CRI, Dr. Wu’s lab studies the molecular function and basis of extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in human cancer.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH. I am interested in the role of ecDNA in human cancer.

Our chromosomes carry the genetic blueprint of human life, which tells our cells how to function. In cancer cells, that genome is profoundly altered.

One of the most common genetic alterations in cancer is amplification of oncogenes — a type of gene that promotes cancer formation and growth.

However, in many cases, these amplified oncogenes are not physically located on the chromosomes. Instead, they frequently “jump” off the

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

chromosome and replicate as circular ecDNA particles.

Recently, we found that circular ecDNAs are prevalent in a quarter to a third of all cancers, especially in the most aggressive cancer types including brain, lung, and breast cancers. Our understanding of ecDNA is limited but work in my lab will be focused on uncovering the mechanisms that drive this behavior to develop specific therapeutic strategies to eliminate ecDNA and target oncogenes that are currently undruggable.

HOW WILL YOUR WORK HELP PATIENTS? Cancer with ecDNA is usually more resistant to chemotherapy and targeted therapy due to the dynamically changing ecDNA copy number. However, in the current clinical therapeutic regime, we don’t have the tools needed to identify patients with ecDNA-driven cancers, nor do we know how to treat them differently if ecDNA is found.

My research focuses on how cancer maintains the ecDNA population and expresses the oncogenic information, including how ecDNA replicate, repair,

transcribe, and interact with each other and other DNA. By deciphering these mechanisms, we will be able to develop effective strategies to eliminate ecDNA in cancer. I am also collaborating with scientists specialized in imaging and computation to develop costeffective methods to identify ecDNA in tumor tissue samples.

We hope to incorporate these new tools into the current pathological pipeline to stratify patients and make better medical decisions.

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED ALONG THE WAY THAT MIGHT BENEFIT OTHERS PURSUING A CAREER IN SCIENCE OR MEDICINE? Figure out your research field, or your niches, as soon as possible. Trying different things during the early training phase is essential as it broadens your views and experience. But in the end, when you pursue an independent career, you want your colleagues to remember who you are and what you do as a scientist.

It is not easy, though, because it requires you to keep asking why this field is important, why

you are the right person to do the job, and what unique insights you can bring to the field. But once you have a clear vision of your scientific path, you will never get lost, because you understand what you do every day is meaningful.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE IF YOU WERE NOT A SCIENTIST? I would either enter the music industry or teach music.

I was the coach and conductor of the university choir starting in my third year of undergrad until I finished my Ph.D. training. I really enjoyed how music can bring people from different backgrounds and cultures together. I also found it was fun to combine my scientific knowledge, including acoustic physics and anatomy, with music to elevate our overall performance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CRI’S RESEARCH AND HOW TO BECOME AN INVESTOR IN RESEARCH AT CHILDRENS.COM/CRI.

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‘A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING’ AFTER A PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEON SAVED THEIR DAUGHTER’S LIFE, JOHN AND JENNIFER EAGLE ESTABLISHED AN ENDOWMENT THROUGH A GIFT OF $1 MILLION TO CHILDREN’S HEALTH.

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or more than two decades, John Eagle has held onto a doctor’s business card.

Now yellowed and frayed, the card goes with him everywhere — tucked in his wallet alongside folded receipts and credit cards.

He plans to keep it forever.

The weathered card is one of his most treasured items — a reminder of what is possible and the pediatric neurosurgeon who saved his daughter’s life.

“In the business world, I had people all the time tell me they couldn’t do things,” said John, President and CEO of John Eagle Dealerships, who over the years grew the family dealership business to include many franchises in various cities.

“This card reminds me that

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nothing is impossible, and I don’t ever want to forget that.”

Because more than two decades earlier, Dale Swift, M.D., a Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Children’s Health, was his daughter’s last hope.

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n January 1997, John and Jennifer Eagle welcomed twin girls, Alexandra and Natalie.

Born during an emergency c-section at 24 weeks old, they each weighed 1 pound and 5 ounces.

Because of complications with their premature births, Natalie only lived for about 36 hours, and Alexandra developed hydrocephalus — an abnormal build-up of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain. This fluid build-up puts pressure on the

brain’s tissues, and too much pressure can cause brain damage and even death.

Alexandra needed a tube — also known as a shunt — inserted surgically to drain the excess fluid. But doctors at another hospital didn’t have the capability to perform the surgery.

And Alexandra was running out of time.

The Eagles were quickly introduced to Dr. Dale Swift, part of the Neurosurgical team at Children’s Health and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who a few weeks earlier had welcomed a baby boy of his own.

Dr. Swift told John and Jennifer that he had never inserted a shunt in a baby this small before, but he

was confident that it was the best path — the only path — for their daughter.

But there were risks: Alexandra could develop an infection from the shunt, which could damage her brain. And the shunt could malfunction, and her hydrocephalus could return.

Soon after, Alexandra was gazing up at her parents with bright eyes. And she was gaining weight, too. By the time the Eagles brought her home from the hospital, she weighed 3 pounds and 12 ounces. A little butterball, they thought.

But as they headed home, they also were anxious. They wondered how Alexandra’s condition and surgeries would impact her as she grew up.

DECEMBER 2021

“I’ll never forget it,” Jennifer said.

“Dr. Swift sat down on the floor in front of us and said, ‘The brain is a beautiful thing. Just take her home and love her.’”

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n Dr. Swift’s office at Children’s Health, a bulletin board nearby his desk is tacked with notes from families — hand-drawn cards from kids, holiday and New Year’s cards with smiling faces and graduation announcements of teenagers in caps and gowns.

He’s gotten to watch a lot of kids grow up, including Alexandra, who attended the same school as his children.

“I’m extraordinarily proud of her accomplishments,” Dr. Swift said.

“And in the back of my mind, I’m always thinking that we’re very fortunate she did not have any more problems as a little baby.”

In 2020, Alexandra graduated from Texas Christian University with a degree in art history. Since then, she’s completed a master’s degree at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York.

Grateful to Dr. Swift for saving their daughter’s life, the Eagles gave $1 million to Children’s Health to establish the Eagle Family Endowment Fund in honor of Dale Swift, M.D. Dr. Swift is the first to benefit from this generous gift as the holder of the Eagle Family Master Clinician in Pediatric Neurosurgery, which provides him annual funds to advance projects and research in pediatric neurosurgery.

“After Alexandra was born, it was a pretty dark picture, but Dr. Swift painted us a picture of hope,” John said. “He really instilled in us complete confidence — not only in his abilities, but in what he was going to do. He changed our lives.”

Dr. Swift plans to use these funds to research and develop an alternative to current hydrocephalus treatment that wouldn’t involve a shunt, since a shunt is prone to failure and the current alternative treatment does not work in all cases.

“We wanted to give a gift that keeps on giving, and, hopefully, make a difference that can help other families,” Jennifer said.

5 FAST WAYS TO MAKE A MAGICAL GIFT

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STOCK(ing) stuffers: Use long-term appreciated stock, rather than cash, to make a magical gift this season.

For donors who itemize, you will help change a child’s life; receive a charitable income tax deduction for the market value of the stock; and avoid capital gains on the appreciation. If you do not itemize, you will still avoid capital gains on appreciation of the gifted stock.

Learn more at childrens.com/stocks.

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Bundle up this holiday season: In recent years, it has become more difficult to take a tax deduction for charitable gifts. But if you time giving by bundling two years of donations into a single year — bringing you over the itemization threshold for deductions in one year — the next year you can take the standard deduction. This solution can be enhanced with the addition of a DonorAdvised Fund (DAF), allowing you to continue to grant from the fund throughout the two years and receive maximum tax deductions.

Dale Swift, M.D.

Bring magic to children during this time of year and give a gift that will have value long after the holiday season is over.

With a bit of planning, you can make a gift that helps you make a bigger impact and costs you less!

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Find magic in your golden years: If you are age 70 1/2 or older, use your IRA to make your charitable gift. This allows you to use your most highly taxed assets to do your giving. Contact your IRA custodian and direct them to make a transfer from your IRA directly to Children’s Health.

To learn more, visit childrens.com/IRA.

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Top it up: The CARES Act provisions have been extended through the end of 2021. And this year, taxpayers who take the standard deduction may claim an additional $300 deduction for cash, credit card and debit card gifts to public charities.

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Deduct it all: The CARES Act also allows donors who itemize to deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income for cash gifts to public charities made in 2021.

(The Act excludes gifts to Donor-Advised Funds or supporting organizations.) This is a great chance for donors to accelerate pledges and take the deduction in a single year.

For more information about planning a gift that will bring magic to children this season, visit bringmagictochildrens.com or call our Gift Planning team at 469-744-1986.

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

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SEE HOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE GIVES BACK CHILDREN’S HEALTH SAVED THE LIFE OF HAMDY SHALABI’S SON. NOW, HAMDY AND HIS FAMILYOWNED EL RIO GRANDE LATIN MARKET ARE HELPING PATIENT FAMILIES — ONE SALE AT A TIME.

A

lmost a decade ago, Hamdy Shalabi and his family opened the first location of El Rio Grande Latin Market on Maple Avenue — a short five-minute drive from Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

And since then, patient families — often tired and worried about their children — have stopped by the

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neighborhood grocery store for food and to use the money services booth.

Hamdy understands their feelings of worry and fear because several years earlier, his son was a patient at the hospital, too.

“We spent five nights at Children’s Health, and that was a big piece of the emotional connection for me and my

family to the hospital,” said Hamdy, CEO of El Rio Grande Latin Market.

“No one wants to be in a hospital, but if you have to be there, Children’s Health is the right place to be.”

Since 2014, Hamdy and his family have been supporters of Children’s Health, donating meals and leading point-of-sale campaigns to give back

DECEMBER 2021

to the hospital, including this holiday season.

In 2018, the Shalabi family donated more than $71,000 to support the Family Resource Library at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, which provided Hamdy’s son with books that sparked his imagination and distracted him from treatment during his hospital stay.

And this holiday season, El Rio Grande is holding its second point-of-sale fundraiser campaign this year benefiting Children’s Health.

“There’s a real giving spirit during this time of year, regardless of your faith. The biggest thing we’ve learned over these last couple of years from the pandemic is that nothing is stronger or more beautiful than humanity,” Hamdy said. “People are looking for an outlet to give during the holidays. There’s no one more in need than sick children and their families, and we are proud to partner every year with Children’s Health.”

A second-generation retailer, Hamdy was born in Puerto Rico and watched his dad and uncles run convenience stores together. He and his brothers took that entrepreneurial spirit and transitioned to the grocery industry, fusing their Middle Eastern culture with their Latin upbringing.

“Although we are Americans of Middle Eastern descent, there are many Latin American traditions in our family from our time in Puerto Rico,” Hamdy said. “The menus on our dinner tables are as diverse as our upbringing. Meals can vary from a steak to a falafel wrap or a tropical ceviche.”

A neighborhood grocer, Hamdy is proud of the role El Rio Grande plays in influencing the lives of women and men, who work in the store as their first job, and the support it provides community organizations like Children’s Health.

“To us, the people who shop in our store aren’t customers — they are neighbors, and we want to support them in every way we can,” he said.

EL RIO GRANDE FUNDRAISING TOTALS S ince 2014, El Rio Grande Latin Market has been a fundraising partner for Children’s Health. The company has a lifetime giving of more than $332,000 and has supported Children’s Health through meal donations, the Red Balloon League, point-of-sale campaigns and the Hispanic Radiothon.

2018

2019

2020

$71,074

$71,000

$11,038

In 2018, the Shalabi family donated more than $71,000 to support the Family Resource Library at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

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2777 Stemmons Freeway | Suite 1700 Dallas, Texas 75207 give.childrens.com

Children’s Health President and CEO Christopher J. Durovich

Communications Specialist Greer Johnson

Children’s Medical Center Foundation President Brent E. Christopher

Communications Director Jessica Kaszynski

Contributors Robbie Aaron Marvis Browder Jessi Cole Colten Hendrik Nicola Lawrence Aracely Munoz Katie Regan Ilyssa Schlereth Angelica Timpany Fatima Villarreal

Content Manager Nanette Light

Design Eric Rob & Isaac

Digital Content Specialist Jason Brynsvold

Photography Juan Pulido

Chief Advancement Officer Laran O’Neill