October 2023 Mini-Magazine

children’s medical center

fall/winter 2023

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wo days before Christmas last year, Charley received a life-saving gift: a second kidney transplant.

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the power of the red balloon

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t Children’s HealthSM, the little red balloon you see floating next to our name means a lot to us. Like many of our patients, this is one small but powerful red balloon.

This red balloon has the ability to bring together the might of academic medicine and specialty expertise to offer clinical care without a ceiling.

This red balloon inspires researchers to search for seemingly impossible discoveries that lead to possible cures for pediatric illnesses and diseases.

And this red balloon is charting a course to build a healthier community for all North Texas children, especially their mental health.

THIS IS ONE MIGHTY RED BALLOON.

who we are

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hildren’s Health is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas. We’re a nonprofit that has been making life better for children for 110 years. As one of the largest U.S. pediatric health providers, we care for children in hospitals and clinics in the North Texas region and beyond.

And for more than 60 years, we’ve worked

together with UT Southwestern to provide incredible health care for children. Together, we’re the only joint pediatric enterprise in North Texas with the depth of experience and breadth of specialties to handle everything from routine illnesses and injuries to the most complex care for kids.

As a team, we work to accomplish the incredible, together.

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e are on a mission to meet the unique and wide-ranging needs of kids for generations to come. But we can’t do it on our own.

From donors who make generous one-time gifts to those who annually commit with valuable donations that add up over time, we depend on your support to meet our community’s needs.

The donors highlighted in the stories that follow are shining examples of the impact you have when you give to Children’s Health: You make a difference in the lives of North Texas children.

As our community grows, we remain committed to sustaining Children’s Health Founder Nurse May Smith’s spirit of courage, excellence and service to kids and families, while providing world-class care.

Looking ahead, Children’s Health is planning for explosive growth in the pediatric population and rapidly evolving patient needs, requiring advanced and specialized care. Our community depends on us to be there for every patient who walks through our doors, but we need you by our side.

We’re excited for you to join us on this journey and help us accomplish the incredible, together.

our vision for the future CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS Build more patient rooms, facilities and amenities to improve our ability to provide high-quality patient care to the rapidly growing pediatric population of North Texas.

RESEARCH Discover breakthrough treatments and be on the cutting edge of pediatric medicine, allowing our expert team to bring promising new therapies and hope to patients.

M E N T A L A N D B E H A V I O R A L H E A LT H Enhance current programs, including a first-of-its kind pediatric mental health initiative, that is helping kids have easier access to mental health support in their own neighborhoods.

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incredible. together.

meet our donors T

he impact we make in the lives of patients and families doesn’t happen alone.

It takes incredible passion. Incredible generosity.

And incredible supporters coming together to meet the growing needs of North Texas children.

Thank you for your unwavering generosity as we work together to make life better for children.

MEET OUR DONORS

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UTS W PH YS I C I A N S E STA B L I S H ENDOWMENT IN THEIR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER’ S HONOR

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than and Nina named their daughter Cecilia, but from the moment she was born, she was always Ceci.

The youngest of three girls, Ceci enjoyed watching the wild rabbits running in the backyard, and her first word was “tutu” — Mandarin for bunny. At night, she chimed in with her sisters during the family’s music video-watching routine.

And on a normal afternoon in December 2022, five weeks after a tumor next to her lower spine was discovered, Ceci went down for a nap and never woke up.

Ethan Sanford, M.D., a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Nina, M.D., Chief of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Service at UT Southwestern Medical Center, do not know much about why Ceci died or the tumor that was discovered a couple of months prior involving the nerves in her lower back.

“I must have spoken with 30 or more physicians across the country, from Boston to San Francisco.

Everyone was so kind and generous with their time, but still stumped,” said Nina. “The local team at Children’s Health was incredible.

After her biopsy, the lead pathologist invited us to the lab to review her slides together. The morning of her MRI, the anesthesiologist bought her a toy to play with in recovery. We are so grateful.”

Months earlier, the couple noticed progressive weakness in Ceci’s right

leg. By her first birthday, she could not pull to stand or crawl.

An MRI at Children’s Health confirmed the tumor controlling her right leg function, but an eighthour surgical biopsy yielded no answers. Her diagnosis was rare – so rare that no one could pinpoint the next step.

After Ceci’s tumor was initially found, Ethan started a donation page to fundraise for clinical research efforts at Children’s Health, seeking to help children and families like his searching for answers.

To date, the page has amassed more than $90,000 in generous gifts toward clinical research, with additional donations directly sent to the hospital in Ceci’s honor.

Research at Children’s Health helps scientists better understand diseases, chronic conditions and injuries, and can lead to the development of new medicines, treatments or approaches to caring for patients.

Philanthropy fuels new areas of research not presently funded by external entities; supports important, life-saving studies that are nationally and locally underfunded; and provides pilot funding that helps researchers successfully apply for larger, future grants such as from the National Institutes of Health.

Each year, there are more than 1,200 active research studies at Children’s Health, with nearly 13,000 patients enrolled.

“There have been many advancements in medicine, but

much is still unknown. Even for entities that are named and whose pathophysiology is understood, current treatments are inadequate and inaccessible to many,” Ethan said.

This spring, the couple established a $100,000 endowment named Ceci’s Fund for Clinical Research to distribute annual funds to support clinical research and honor their daughter. The endowment is supported by funds raised from the donation page, along with additional generous gifts. And the family plans to continue growing the endowment.

“When we first began fundraising, it was a coping mechanism to find meaning in something that felt meaningless,” Ethan said. “Now, it helps our friends, family and us remember her. There are many things Ceci didn’t get to do, so finding a long-term way for her life to have an impact on other children was important.”

Endowed funds are critical gifts because they provide perpetual support for a program or research area close to a donor’s heart.

Contributions made to establish endowments are invested to generate earnings and increase in value over time.

“Life is short, beautiful and cruel.

I would not wish our experience on my worst enemy. But, what it has taught me is to live bravely and with intention. We hope for Ceci to positively impact the world, and this fund is one way she will be able to do that,” Nina said.

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remembering Ceci

MEET OUR DONORS

‘I know the heart of Children’s Health’ N O N P R O F I T U N A N I M O U S LY V O T E S T O E S T A B L I S H T W O E N D O W M E N T S F O R C H I L D R E N ’ S H E A LT H

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ecently, Sharon White uncovered a list of 25 life goals her teenage daughter wrote more than a decade ago.

No. 1: Move to New York. No. 2: Travel to Africa and help orphaned children. No. 3: Pass my French class.

The list goes on ...

No. 23: Get a tattoo. No. 24: Go to Heaven. No. 25: Be happy.

“She was smart. She was funny.

She was just enough sweetness and sass. This is what cancer took from the world,” Sharon said of her daughter, Micaela, who passed away

in 2011 from leukemia when she was 18 years old.

For nine months, team members in the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health cared for Micaela — a dancer with national awards who wanted to be a journalist when she grew up.

And for most of that time, the teenager and her mother lived at the hospital, as Micaela underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant.

While there, they also talked about what they’d do one day

when they left the hospital.

But Sharon felt depleted as she drove home alone from the hospital in August 2011, after Micaela had a seizure and passed away in the Intensive Care Unit while Sharon held her close.

“I took Micaela’s strength and vision and opened a foundation to support pediatric cancer research,” said Sharon of the nonprofit named Micaela’s Army. “And over the many years, I hope I made a small difference. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I’m so proud of what we did.”

Last year, Sharon and the

BECAUSE OF YOU

D READ THE FULL STORY

foundation’s board members dissolved the nonprofit and used the remaining funds to establish two endowments at Children’s Health to support cancer research and child life services — which provide coping strategies and help make life easier for those experiencing the unthinkable.

“I know the heart of Children’s Health. When you spend eight months there caring for your child, I don’t know how you walk out of there, knowing what you know, and not want to make a difference,” Sharon said. “These kids need a fighting chance, and research is the solution.”

iagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia three years ago, Alexis immediately began treatment for her cancer at Children’s Health.

She went into remission, but her cancer returned in December 2022. This spring, she received a bone marrow transplant from her brother.

But this wasn’t like an organ transplant.

A week prior, Alexis, now 18, was admitted to Children’s Health and given an intensive round of chemotherapy to wipe out her immune system, clearing it to the point that even vaccines she received as a baby were no longer effective.

On the morning of transplant day, two liter bottles worth of bone marrow stem cells were collected with a syringe from her brother Aiden’s hip while he was sedated.

Alexis’ family anxiously waited for hours while an offsite lab prepared the stem cells. Her mom, Shannon, dressed up in a funny inflatable unicorn outfit and waddled down hospital hallways of the Dallas campus to pass the time and make her children laugh.

And just before dinner, her brother’s life-saving gift arrived and was admitted through an I.V., while Shannon held Alexis’ hand and quietly said a prayer.

“I’m glad and blessed that I have my brother to give me his bone marrow,” Alexis said the week before her transplant. “I hope and pray that my body will accept it. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

READ THE FULL STORY A N D WATC H A L EXI S’ VI D E O

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your generosity throughout the year helps make life better for teens like Alexis

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MEET OUR DONORS

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MORE THAN $14 MILLION RAISED IN COMMUNITY S U P P O R T T OWA R D E XPA N S I O N P R OJ E C T

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couple years ago, Children’s Health launched one of the most significant initiatives in our hospital’s history to serve the growing pediatric population north of Dallas — the expansion of Children’s Medical Center Plano, which opened 15 years ago in Collin County.

And in August, a $1 million donation from Take 5 Oil Change and Take 5 Car Wash was the latest gift for the expansion project, which is near completion thanks to ongoing philanthropic support.

approximately 3 million children projected to live in North Texas by 2050

With approximately 3 million children projected to live in North Texas by 2050, philanthropic gifts are critical to ensure Children’s Health is ready to meet the

wide-ranging needs of children now and for generations to come. To date, more than $14 million has been raised in community support for the expansion, including $7.5 million from Bright Industries and $500,000 from the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation.

“As their business grows across North Texas, Take 5 is exemplifying their mission of supporting the needs of the communities where they live and work, helping Children’s Health meet the needs of our pediatric population, which is growing rapidly, too,” said Brent Christopher, President of Children’s Medical Center Foundation.

The Take 5 donation will be recognized in one of the new patient family and visitor waiting areas, providing an inviting space for families to meet with visitors outside of their children’s rooms.

These waiting areas are particularly essential for families with children who are on isolation and cannot receive visitors in their rooms.

Parents can spend time with family and friends without having to leave the inpatient unit.

Take 5 Oil Change and Take 5 Car Wash are part of Driven Brands, the largest automotive services company in North America. Through its charitable arm, the Driven Brands Charitable Foundation, the company has supported children’s hospitals nationwide for almost 20 years, donating more than $4 million since its fundraising initiative began.

With the growing presence of both Take 5 Oil Change and Car Wash in Texas and their mission to make a difference in the communities they serve, Take 5 stepped up when the opportunity arose to support Children’s Health in its expansion project.

“Community support is part of our culture. With Take 5 Car Wash joining the cause, our commitment is even stronger,” said Danny Rivera, Driven Brands EVP and Chief Operating Officer. “We have deep roots in the state with more than 300 Take 5 locations in Texas, and our teams in the state are looking forward to supporting the expansion of Children’s Medical Center Plano.”

The Plano campus recently celebrated the topping out of its new expansion tower, signifying the completion of the building’s frame.

This construction milestone marks another crucial step toward opening the 395,000-square-foot tower at the end of 2024.

The tower will house expanded pediatric subspecialty care programs such as cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology and neurology, among others. It will also nearly triple the number of available patient beds from 72 to 212, allowing Children’s Health to serve more patient families than ever before and to deliver access to highly specialized care closer to home.

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Take 5 gives $1m to support the expansion of Children’s Medical Center Plano

MEET OUR DONORS

Debbie and Ric Scripps PA R T O F T H E L I T T L E M I R A C L E S H A P P E N I N G E V E R Y D A Y A T C H I L D R E N ’ S H E A LT H

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or Debbie and Ric Scripps, investing in the future is a “no-brainer.”

Both retired teachers, the couple has spent years shaping the lives of children. Advocating for future generations is one of the top ways they like to give back.

“Anything dealing with investing in kids, that investment comes back to you tenfold,” Ric said. “Any time we have an opportunity to invest in the future of kids, that’s where our passion lies.”

For more than 40 years, the couple has been profoundly connected to Children’s Health.

Before they moved to Dallas in 1980, they lived in Minneapolis, Minn., where their youngest son, Andy, was born prematurely.

He was admitted to a children’s hospital there and the family’s experience inspired Debbie to sign up as a volunteer. Once in Texas, her dedication to helping children continued when Debbie joined the Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

But she didn’t stop there. Both she and Ric have served in numerous leadership roles over the years. Debbie has chaired the Children’s Medical Center Foundation Board; served on the hospital board; held roles as president of the Women’s Auxiliary Dallas chapter and as Family Night chair. Ric has served on the Foundation Board and on various task force initiatives, including hosting physicians and their families during their visits to North Texas. The two have also dedicated their time and efforts to several other civic and professional

organizations in the community.

Debbie and Ric’s active involvement has only helped fuel their strong passion for pediatric health care.

“Seeing all the little miracles that happen every day at Children’s Health makes me want to be a part of it and a part of the growth,” Debbie said.

In 2012, Children’s Health established the Scripps Society to honor Debbie and Ric for their work as volunteers, leaders and philanthropists. The Society recognizes friends of Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) who have contributed $1 million or more and embody the mission of Children’s Health to make life better for children.

That same year, the couple created an endowment to support the general operations of CRI, a leader in groundbreaking discoveries with the goal to cure people who otherwise would not be cured.

More than a decade later, they remain heavily involved in CRI and the work of Dr. Sean Morrison, the Institute’s director. They’re proud of the overall growth of the Institute since its founding, the unexpected discoveries by CRI investigators and the groundbreaking research Morrison and his team pursue.

“He is so brilliant,” Ric said. “We know that in 10 or 15 years we’re going to have solutions to diseases we currently don’t have solutions to.”

Their three sons, Ryan, Scott and Andy, and two daughters-in-law have gotten involved too, through Scripps Society dinners, CRI receptions and donor appreciation events. Because

the institution means a great deal to them, Debbie and Ric have generously named Children’s Health in their estate plans. One planned gift will support the Scripps Family Charitable Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas for Children’s Research Institute to further the inspiring research conducted at CRI. Another estate gift will add to the Debbie and Ric Scripps Endowment for Child Life, a fund they established in 1999, in recognition of the incredible impact child life has on a patient’s experience. Programs like child life — which provide coping strategies and help make life easier for those experiencing the unthinkable — are offered throughout the hospital at no cost to patient families.

With their history of supporting Children’s Health within and outside the walls of the hospital, Debbie and Ric know how important resources like child life are to holistically care for a child. This endowed fund has already helped child life specialists meet the individual and wide-ranging needs of the children and families they serve. And, the anticipated growth of this fund will extend this impact even further, as team members care for the growing number of children who rely on Children’s Health year after year.

“Children are our future.

Why wouldn’t we want to support something that does such a good job with the health of children,” Debbie said.

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how to leave an incredible legacy Bring the magic to children during this special time of year and give a gift that will have value long after the holiday season is over. Together, you help us make magic for kids.

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Start bringing the magic today by donating appreciated stock, distributing funds from your DAF, making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA or even donating cryptocurrency.

Plan how you’d like to bring the magic tomorrow through easy and flexible beneficiary designations by adding Children’s Health to your will or creating a charitable annuity or trust.

Make magical moments for generations to come by establishing a named endowment, donating mineral rights or turning your appreciated property into a life-income gift.

Learn more about multiple magical ways to give by visiting give.childrens.com/legacy or contact our team at giftplanning@childrens.com for help starting a personalized plan today.

MEET OUR DONORS

Riya’s legacy SO EVERY NICU BABY GETS TO GO HOME

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lpi had a whole list of names for the baby girl she was expecting.

Her husband, Mitesh, only liked one.

“Riya means graceful and singer,” he said. “And it was through the grace of God that we even got to meet her. She was only with us for 137 days, but her will to live and to fight makes us proud.”

Riya was born extremely premature. Despite her tenacity, her family’s love, and the expert care of team members at Children’s Health, she passed away at four and a half months old.

Now, her parents are on a mission: Raise $75,000 in their daughter's honor to support research and care so every premature baby gets to go home healthy.

“Life is a gift, and we don’t take that lightly anymore,” Mitesh said.

“Every day, Riya gives us purpose.

We are on this mission so she will be something bigger than life and help other babies in her memory.”

months into Alpi’s pregnancy, was working well.

F ive Every day, Riya got her blood pressure spiked. She was experiencing a complication called preeclampsia.

Her blood pressure was dangerously high, and the baby was coming. Riya was born at just 25 weeks and three days. She weighed less than a pound.

She was transferred to the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Health, when she needed more complex care than her local NICU could provide.

“As a parent, it breaks your heart because you want to do anything and everything for your kid, but we felt helpless," Mitesh said. days passed slowly and T he Riya became more stable.

Her doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and the entire care team taught Alpi and Mitesh everything they needed to know — how to feed a baby this small, how to closely monitor her tiny lungs, and how despite everything, Riya’s brain

a little bigger. As the weeks passed, she started smiling, wiggling her arms and legs, and looking around the room.

“We were overjoyed when we finally got to hold her,” Alpi said.

Alpi and Mitesh shared Riya’s progress with their family and started working on the nursery to prepare to bring her home. But progress halted when the blood pressure in her lungs spiked, and Riya was diagnosed with a condition called pulmonary hypertension. She passed away in the spring of 2021.

“Children’s Health did everything possible. We did everything possible, and we hope Riya knows that,” Mitesh said.

JOI N A LPI A ND MI TE SH A ND STA RT YOUR OWN FUN DRA I SE R Together, we can make a real difference for patients, families and team members at Children’s Health as we raise funds to fight childhood illnesses and injuries.

When you create a fundraiser, you can choose to designate your fundraising, and every dollar you raise goes directly to your area of choice. Utilize the power of your social networks to create a movement that helps make life better for kids at Children’s Health.

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after Riya’s death, Alpi and S oon Mitesh got a message from one of her doctors who said she was passing by their daughter’s former hospital room and thinking of them.

That got the couple thinking: What if they could honor Riya’s legacy by supporting doctors and scientists working to improve survivorship for babies like Riya?

“We asked people to make a donation, instead of sending us things to show their love and

support,” Alpi said. “So many people have reached out, telling us our daughter is a hero or sharing their own stories about premature babies.”

Alpi and Mitesh continue to rally their community around this cause — all while balancing work and caring for their twomonth-old and 11-month-old daughters, who they had through surrogacy.

Alpi and Mitesh hope their

fundraising efforts will advance research and care for NICU babies, particularly those with pulmonary hypertension.

“We miss her so much and there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t think of her,” Alpi said. “Our hope is that one day, all NICU babies get to go home happy and healthy.”

READ THE FULL STORY

MEET OUR DONORS

Jan Richey and Tom Lamphere GIVING FROM THE HEART: COUPLE’S GIFT PR O PE LS PE D I AT R I C R E S E A R C H

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Jan said. “This is an amazing group of people working hard to find cures for childhood diseases.”

Tom will be the first to tell you, kids need to be kids — especially when they’re sick or injured.

Born with a condition that required multiple surgeries over many years, Tom spent a month and sometimes more in the hospital for several summers. But unlike Children’s Health, there were no activities or therapy dogs to visit the patients.

“I had to entertain myself. About a half-mile away, a train would pass a few times a day. I started counting the different types and colors of cars,” he said. “I received very good medical care, but I was in an adult hospital, and my family was only allowed to visit for a couple of hours each day.”

This life experience put a mark on his heart to help kids.

When Tom and Jan heard that Children’s Health was building a second hospital in Plano to serve families north of Dallas, Tom had an idea: Provide resources for patients to view kid-friendly movies and shows on their hospital room TVs.

“This way, patients had things to do or watch when they came back from chemo or surgery,” Tom said.

“And when they were feeling well enough, there would be a playroom to visit as well.”

That was Tom and Jan’s first major commitment to Children’s Health, and they haven’t slowed down since.

The two also have established an endowment to support innovative care and technology in urology, and Jan is an active member of the Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Plano.

Looking back on his time as a patient and looking ahead to being a great-grandfather, Tom is hopeful that his family will see how gratifying it is to support causes that make a difference in the lives of future generations.

“The most fulfilling part of my life is living with a servant mentality, with a heart to serve others,” he said. “Jan and I have had successes that we couldn’t have imagined and part of what we enjoy about life is the challenge of how we can best help others.”

your support of research makes life better for children.

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esearch helps scientists better understand diseases, chronic conditions and injuries, and can lead to the development of new medicines, treatments or approaches to caring for patients.

Philanthropy fuels new areas of research not presently funded by external entities; supports important, life-saving studies that are nationally and locally underfunded; and provides pilot funding that helps researchers successfully apply for larger,

future grants such as from the National Institutes of Health.

Each year, there are more than 1,200 active research studies at Children’s Health, with nearly 13,000 patients enrolled. For many of these children, research is their last hope for treatment for their illnesses.

Your support remains the essential catalyst for facilitating new and innovative ideas for research at Children’s Health to help us accomplish the incredible together.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO HELP FUND THESE L I F E - S AVI N G DISCOVERIES .

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ore than two years since they toured a lab filled with test tubes, microscopes and lots of other fancy gadgets, Tom Lamphere and his wife, Jan Richey, are still impressed to learn about how researchers are using stem cells to better understand pediatric cancer and organ failure.

Innovative work at Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) — a joint venture between Children’s Health and UT Southwestern that seeks to cure people who would otherwise not be cured — inspired the couple to make a sizable bequest.

And they decided to be part of the discoveries underway that will change the way we care for children.

With their investment, the couple is supporting research that is focused on understanding pediatric diseases to revolutionize treatment for children.

“The passion of the scientists was incredible. This research isn’t a job for them. Every single person is on a mission — a big mission together,”

MEET OUR DONORS

‘taking care of our community is as important as taking care of our guests’ STEADFAST SUPPORT FROM MARRIOT T F U E L S L I F E - C H A N G I N G PAT I E N T CA R E

restaurant tab, Marriott’s giving through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has supported Children’s Health in countless ways, raising nearly $2 million for the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas.

“We invest in what’s most important to us, and for many associates, that’s their children.

Many of our associates’ families have benefitted from care at children’s hospitals locally and nationally,” said Robbie Tawil, General Manager of Dallas Marriott Uptown, one of the locations that supports Children’s Health. “Our fundraising efforts are constant because the need is constant.”

In its more than 30 years of giving, Marriott’s generosity has

a message from a Marriott regular: THANKS FOR HELPING MY FAVO R I T E K I D D O S !

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oof! With great joy and a big dog smile, I’d like to say thank you to my friends at the Dallas Uptown Marriott for supporting Children’s Health.

As a therapy dog, my job is to help children at the hospital feel better. After work, I often go to the Marriott with my mom and dad for dinner. It's right by our house, and we spent a bunch of time there when our pipes froze last winter.

I was so excited when I learned that my friends at Marriott fundraise to help my kiddos at Children’s Health. Your support helps them feel better, smile

bigger and get to spend more time doing what kids love to do — like playing fetch with their dog!!!

With gratitude and tail waggles,

Espen Le Vieux Therapy Dog, Children’s Health

been a flexible funding resource, supporting innovative research efforts that have led to lifesaving discoveries and funding enhancements to our Dallas hospital that provide high-quality patient care for our rapidly growing pediatric population.

“We trust that Children’s Health knows where the need is greatest.

We’re here to help them and rally our troops to provide support,” said Tawil, who also serves as President of the DFW Marriott Business Council.

“We will never waiver. We will never rest. For 97 years, we’ve built a mission and culture where we believe taking care of our community is as important as taking care of our guests,” Tawil said.

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efore Marriott International Inc. was a global hotel chain, they were a root beer stand with just nine seats.

Founders J. Willard and Alice Sheets Marriott grew their small shop into a restaurant, then a franchise, and ultimately, one of the largest hotel chains worldwide.

Every year, Marriott honors their roots by giving out root beer floats and inviting guests and staff to make a donation. For more than three decades, donations from participating Marriott properties in more than 50 zip codes across Dallas and Collin counties have supported Children’s Health.

From donating a quarter of every water bottle purchased to inviting guests to add a donation to their

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MEET OUR DONORS

‘we don’t have to be the hare. we can be the turtle.’

R I S E M A N F A M I LY M A K E S G I V I N G T O Y O U N G A D U LT CANCER RESEARCH A REMINDER OF THEIR SON A N D B R O T H E R , R YA N

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ancy and Bill Riseman have shaped a decadeslong career constructing and renovating houses in the Dallas area, building modern spaces for families to call home.

And for the last six years, the closing of each project has been a reminder of their son, Ryan.

Since 2017, the couple, inspired by a colleague’s generous giving to Children’s Health, has donated a portion of each home sale to a fund benefiting pediatric cancer research for adolescents and young adults at Children’s Health. The gift is made in honor of Ryan — who loved to learn, play golf and had plans of a career in finance before he died at the age of 28 after completing years of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The couple’s giving has inspired their daughter, Rachel, who works as an account executive for Google, to follow a philanthropic path, making a generous annual gift matched by her employer to support cancer research targeted to improve outcomes for young adults.

“Because our giving is recurring, it’s not one-and-done. It’s part of our lives. Part of our thoughts, just like Ryan is always a part of us,” Rachel said.

In 2021, more than 200 active pediatric cancer clinical research trials were sustained and grown because of donors, helping improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood and young adult diseases.

Philanthropic investments in research remain critical to continue offering the best treatment options for these cancer patients.

“When Ryan was in treatment, he always said, ‘Someday, I want to be one of those donors on the wall,’” Nancy said of the names of generous supporters featured at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

“When you lose a child, you search desperately for a way to make yourself feel OK. So much of our lives are work. We decided if we donated proceeds from each of our projects, slowly but surely, we could become one of those donors for Ryan.”

Ryan was a senior at Tulane University interviewing for his first accounting job when he initially visited student health with complaints of trouble breathing, stopping to rest at benches on the way to the appointment.

Worried he had a collapsed lung, a nurse rushed him to a local

emergency room, where doctors discovered 7 liters of fluid-filled tumors on his lungs. Nancy and Bill flew their son by CareFlight back to Dallas for further testing, hoping it was a case of pneumonia.

But a biopsy confirmed leukemia.

“From the minute that cancer word was spoken, Ryan said, ‘Mom, I'm going to be okay. I don't want you to get upset,’” Nancy recalled.

Ryan underwent a year of treatment at another hospital before transferring his treatment closer to home at Children’s Health. There, he entrusted his care to Naomi Joan Winick, MD — a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist studying cancer in young adults for the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health and a Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

A leader in patient care, treatment, research and training in pediatric oncology and hematology, the Gill Center brings national and international expertise through its affiliation with UT Southwestern and the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, setting it apart from other sites for pediatric cancer care in the region.

Under Dr. Winick, Ryan served on a board alongside fellow young adults who were spearheading research efforts to improve care and outcomes for older pediatric populations.

A growing number of patients served through the Gill Center

those who benefit from our clinical research around the world.

“Ryan trusted Dr. Winick with his life and thought she was a brilliant doctor. And he really believed in the research underway for patients like him,” Rachel said.

Six years after receiving his diagnosis, Ryan completed his graduate studies in accounting, adopted a beloved cat named Koo Koo and finished his cancer treatment. He even attended his 10-year high school reunion, catching up with friends he’d missed for years.

A few days later, he became sick with a high fever and a cough that escalated to something more serious. Within two days of admitting him to the hospital, Ryan had died.

“He had made it through his cancer treatment and fought so hard to live,” Nancy said.

“The only thing we could think to do was to help protect other families so nobody else has to go through this. And the only way to do that is through research, and that takes donations,” she said.

And with each home built, Nancy and Bill have donated a portion of each project to support cancer research for young adults, hoping to find a cure to help other young adults like their son.

“Over time, these donations make a difference. We don’t have to be the hare. We can be the turtle,” Nancy said. “Slow and steadfast is OK. It’s all about resolve, and Ryan had such resolve.”

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C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

are adolescents and young adults.

Experts at Children’s Health such as Dr. Winick are determined to make life better for this unique patient population that oftentimes has distinctive medical and psychosocial needs but are frequently underserved and understudied.

Our experts have been working to improve care for this specific group, from promoting privacy, comfort and age-appropriate offerings and amenities while in the hospital to preparing youth to enter the adult care system and even addressing fertility considerations.

Over the years, support of research conducted by Dr. Winick and faculty members of the Gill Center has been integral to improving the lives of countless patient families served in Texas and

MEET OUR DONORS

Sandra Estess CHANGING LIVES THROUGH DECADES OF DEVOTED ADVOCACY

W

hen Sandra Estess signed up to volunteer at Children’s Health in 1975, she didn’t want to just deliver flowers. She wanted to meet and interact with the patients and families being cared for inside the hospital.

What began as a volunteer shift helping kids diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders has since grown into 50 years of service to North Texas’ leading pediatric health system.

Sandra has served as a member of both the Children’s Medical Center Hospital Board of Directors and Children’s Health Services of Texas Board. She currently sits on the Children’s Medical Center Foundation Chairman’s Advisory Board, is a previous member and past chairman of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation Board and has served on numerous committees.

A tireless advocate throughout the years, Sandra embodies our mission — to make life better for children — and its purpose has fueled her desire to give both her time and treasure to Children’s Health.

“I really believe that today’s children are tomorrow’s future, and we need to give them every chance to see that their future can be bright,” Sandra said.

Sandra has been with Children’s Health for so many firsts and through unprecedented growth.

From 2001 to 2005, she co-chaired the wePromise Campaign for Children’s, which was the largest campaign for Children’s Health at the time, raising $160 million.

The campaign funded key initiatives for growth on the Children’s Medical Center Dallas campus, which included the expansion of existing facilities; the recruitment of pediatric specialists; the creation of centers of excellence focused on multidisciplinary care; and the development of nationally respected clinical programs.

Her dedication earned her the Distinguished Service to Children Award in recognition of her many contributions to the mission.

Sandra and her late husband, Henry, have given to benefit various programs and initiatives at Children’s Health. In 2004, the Estesses funded the Sanctuary and Healing Garden in honor of their grandchildren.

The garden is located adjacent to the Children’s Health courtyard on the Dallas campus.

The couple also established the Sandra and Henry Estess Endowment for the Children’s Research Institute to help fund research projects for Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), which is leading the way in groundbreaking discoveries to transform medical outcomes for patients. Sandra said she finds cancer research especially meaningful because at the age of 13, one of her grandsons was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and was treated at Children’s Health.

And her unwavering support continues. Sandra remains committed to supporting Children’s Health campus enhancements to

meet the unique and wide-ranging needs of generations to come.

As Children’s Health plans for an explosive growth in the pediatric population and rapidly evolving patient needs, Sandra said it is the community’s job to come together and support the patients and families who rely every day on this care and the team members who provide the latest interventions to care for children in need.

“There is nothing like the generosity and the philanthropic intent of people in Dallas. While the need is great, so must be the effort to meet the need.”

SANDRA ESTESS, DONOR

MEET OUR DONORS

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‘FO R T H AT S M I L E: ’ WH Y CA R R I E A N D J I M B E N S O N G I VE B A C K T O PAT I E N T S , TEAM MEMBERS IN PLANO

F

amily means everything to Carrie and Jim Benson.

The Plano couple loves spending time together with their two children and six grandchildren. Whether they’re celebrating holidays at their lake house, taking the grandkids for donuts on the weekends or all gathering for their weekly Friday night dinner, they value their time with each other.

And their love for children expands beyond the walls of their home.

They are committed to supporting philanthropic organizations such as Children’s Health that touch the lives of kids.

Carrie serves as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Plano, and for several years, she and Jim have made impactful philanthropic investments to care for patients at Children’s Health. One of their biggest gifts was a sponsorship of the Women’s Auxiliary’s Legacy of Love event, which helped raise funds to expand and enhance the Women’s Auxiliary All-Abilities Playground at Children’s Health Medical Center Plano, the suburban Children’s Health hospital.

When the Bensons learned the Auxiliary’s fundraising efforts would create an all-abilities playground for patient families, they were all in.

“That’s the greatest noise — kids outside playing and laughing.

Seeing a child with a smile is the best thing in the world,” Carrie said.

She also volunteers at the Plano campus. During each shift, she and another volunteer operate the Patient/Family Support Cart,

moving from room to room on each floor, delivering complimentary snacks and toiletries to patients and their families. Carrie said because oftentimes families have to rush their child to the hospital without care items packed, she has witnessed how appreciative a patient’s caregiver is to receive a toothbrush or hairbrush.

“For three seconds when those children are picking out their great snacks, they’re just a child. They’re not sick, they’re just picking out their snacks. That’s why I’m doing it — for that smile,” Carrie said.

Through her volunteering at Children’s Health, Carrie knows how important the work of child life team members is to the care of kids. Programs like child life — which provide coping strategies and help make life easier for those experiencing the unthinkable —

are offered throughout the hospital at no cost to patient families. The couple has pledged to support future growth of the child life team, enabling them to better care for the increasing number of children who rely on Children’s Health each year.

And as more families move to North Texas, Carrie and Jim also understand the importance in the growth and expansion of the Plano campus. Scheduled to open soon, a new eight-story, 395,000-squarefoot tower housing expanded specialty care programs, support services, an amenities center and more will serve the rapidly increasing pediatric population north of Dallas.

“There are going to be more and more kids who are going to need services, so as Collin County grows, so does the hospital,” Jim said.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

Carrie and Jim Benson

bring the magic

Charley’s second transplant operation was performed by the same surgeon who oversaw her first transplant — Dev Desai, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Pediatric Transplantation at Children’s Health.

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a second chance at life

S

ome transplanted organs can last for life. The kidney isn't one of them.

Charley and her family have known that ever since she was 2, when she received her first kidney transplant that saved her life.

Charley was born with one healthy kidney, and it took a few months for tests to reveal that her other kidney was not developing.

After a year of close monitoring and no improvement, doctors determined that one of her kidneys was not functioning at all. She would have to get it removed and go on dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant. But during the surgery at a Louisiana hospital, Charley wound up losing both kidneys.

That night, she was rushed to the Pediatric Nephrology Department at Children's Health in Dallas, where she began dialysis treatment six days a week with a multidisciplinary team collaborating on the 15-monthold’s care around the clock.

“Charley’s care team treated her like she was one of their own,” said Charley’s grandmother, Rachelle.

“They’ve watched her grow up.

They pull for kids so hard.”

Now 13 years old, Charley is thriving again with her second new kidney given to her by a living adult donor two days before Christmas last year — the ultimate holiday gift.

“I didn’t bring the magic of the holiday season to Charley — I shared it with her. And now, we have this unbreakable bond,” said Rebecca Hoo, her second kidney donor, after a six-month check-up.

two institutions seek to provide second transplant C harley’s operation was performed by the incredible health care same surgeon who oversaw her first transplant — Dev Desai, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Pediatric Transplantation at Children’s Health.

Children’s Health offers one of the longest-running comprehensive pediatric transplant programs in the nation. Each year, the program serves approximately 500 patients — performing around 50 heart, kidney and liver transplants — and helps recipients continue to thrive well after transplantation.

In 2021 the team celebrated a monumental milestone — the performance of its 1,500th transplant since the program’s inception more than four decades ago — and continues to provide hope and healing for children and families every day.

Dr. Desai, also a Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics and Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, was involved in both transplant procedures for Charley and her adult donor, Rebecca — removing the donated kidney from Rebecca’s body at UT Southwestern, placing it in a cooler and driving it a few blocks over to place in Charley at Children’s Health.

The transplant is an example of the collaboration that’s been in place for more than 60 years between Children’s Health — a nonprofit and one of the largest U.S. pediatric health providers — and UT Southwestern, as the

Rebecca Hoo, her second kidney donor, with Charley

for children.

“We work together with our partners at UT Southwestern to coordinate the surgeries to start at roughly the same time,” Dr. Desai said. “I’m proud that together, we’re able to give kids an opportunity to live a normal childhood. It’s certainly motivational for me to continue this work and to see patients like Charley grow up. This is why we do this.” first transplanted kidney C harley’s lasted her more than 10 years.

In September 2022, she had surgery to remove the kidney and spent the next several months going to Children’s Health almost every day for four hours of hemodialysis — a treatment that filters the blood through a machine that acts like an artificial kidney.

Living for months in a hotel was difficult for Charley and her grandmother, who reside several hours away from Children’s Health, but day after day, Charley’s medical team worked to provide her the highest quality of care.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

CHARLEY RECEIVES HER SECOND KIDNEY TRANSPLANT TWO D AYS B E F O R E C H R I S T M A S L A S T Y E A R

BRING THE MAGIC The pediatric transplant program includes a renowned team of experts and ancillary services that offer a multidisciplinary approach to care that supports a child's unique physical, emotional, psychological and developmental needs. Together, team members work to provide care to transplant patients that continues to rank the program as one of the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

But these team members don’t just care about Charley’s physical needs. They care about her emotional wellbeing, too. They circled around Charley and sang as she got dialysis on her 13th birthday.

Raymond Quigley, M.D., her dialysis doctor, paid Charley a special visit during the holidays to play carols on his violin.

“Children’s Health doesn’t just treat the physical issue, they treat the mind, body, soul, emotional health, mental health — they have a specialty for everything. And it really, really makes a difference.”

RACHELLE, CHARLEY’S GRANDMOTHER

how can you bring the magic?

transplanted kidneys B oth came from living donors with connections to the family's church: the first, Jessica, a high school friend and cheer teammate of Charley's mom; the second, Rebecca, a woman who had moved from Texas to Nebraska.

Rebecca had only met Charley a couple times before moving to Nebraska, when she saw a social media post from a mutual friend sharing that Charley was looking for a new kidney donor and the chances were slim. Quietly on her own, Rebecca began going through the organ donor screening process while living hundreds of miles from Texas, after learning that she and Charley had the same blood type.

“For whatever reason, I could not let this go. I thought about it all the time. I decided there must be a reason that I can’t read about this and forget it,” said Rebecca, a mother of four. “There was a combination of my faith, and that it kept popping up in my head and my heart.”

After a series of surveys and blood tests, Rebecca flew to Dallas for a more in-depth health screening, including interviews with a social worker and psychologist, and other tests to rule out any possible issue that might get in the way of a successful transplant.

Rebecca spent a week with Charley and her family as they got one last step closer to an official greenlight. She cherishes that time, as well as the memory of the life-changing moment when they found out the transplant was official.

“If you didn’t know Charley, you wouldn't have known the weight she was carrying,” Rebecca said.

“I will never forget the look of relief

At Children's Health, magic is the hope and inspiration we bring to children and families. To learn more about how you can bring the magic to our patients and team members this holiday season, visit bringmagictochildrens.com.

on her face. … Her smile was the most beautiful thing to me.”

Charley's second transplant and Rebecca's surgery both went beautifully. The same goes for their recovery. Charley is happy to have more energy, more time to ride her horse Dooley, to swim and to sleep over at friends' houses — something she hadn't been able to do for a long time because of her treatment.

“Kidney and liver failure are life-threatening illnesses. Without transplant, these patients won’t survive into adulthood, and it’s not because of anything they did,” Dr. Desai said. “Giving these kids an opportunity to live a relatively normal life, which they weren’t given because of something they were born with, is very important to me. We’re giving them a second chance at life.” and her family are staying C harley in close touch with Rebecca, just as they’ve done with Jessica for many years — their extended family now. They share a deep sense of gratitude for one another and hope their story inspires others to give back to Children’s Health, donating to support treatment-advancing research or important services such as child life and social work that holistically care for children like Charley.

Charley will need another transplant someday, which is and isn't a big deal to a girl who has spent her whole life showing up for each new challenge with courage, resilience and gratitude — qualities that inspire everyone on her medical team.

“Charley has a new lease on life,” Rachelle said. “Sure, it’s a life of medications, labs and restricted diets. But it’s a second life, and it’s amazing.”

W

e tracked down 12 people, whose faces represent the web of support surrounding Charley's journey at Children's Health, as she endured years of dialysis treatments and two kidney transplants.

From nurses and child life specialists to clinical therapists and donors, our team members and generous supporters rally each winter season to bring hope for families in the hospital.

BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE CAN BRING MAGIC TO KIDS.

was a toddler when I met her. I cared for her the first C harley night she came out of the ICU and was in her hospital room during most of my 12-hour shift, getting to know her family and trying to help them process what was happening.

I’ve spent my entire nursing career at Children’s Health and majority of it has been caring for nephrology patients like Charley. Many of our patients spend three to five days a week receiving dialysis treatment for hours. I'm in awe of their dedication to their care as they wait for a transplant.

I don’t always have the answers, but being by their side through their journeys is how I bring the magic to them each day.

Brooke T R A N S P L A N T Dungan C O O R D I N A T O R

Sabrina Burnam, RN NEPHROLOGY

the time one of our patients on the waitlist F rom gets an offer for a donated kidney, coordinators like me help facilitate the process of getting that kidney to the patient.

I was the transplant coordinator on call the week Charley received her second kidney transplant, two days before Christmas last year. I’ve followed her closely from the beginning to help minimize her number of trips to the hospital, discuss her medication and lab monitoring plans and oversee just about everything that happens to her.

When Charley would come to clinic visits, we’d talk about everything from athletic wear and new hairstyles to diet and exercise. Physical activity is really important after transplant, so I showed her how to adjust her Apple watch to make sure she was hitting her walking goals.

As much as I love to see Charley in person, I help bring the magic by making sure she can spend as much time as possible at home, enjoying life after transplant.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

how Charley’s care team brought the magic to her last year

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BRING THE MAGIC

Chrishanna Hartford PHLEBOTOMIST

my job as a phlebotomist as I see the key to the answer for what might be going on beneath the surface for a patient. If you don’t have bloodwork, then doctors are left guessing. But if I do my job right, then they can get some answers for patients and families.

I met Charley about a decade ago after she had her first kidney transplant. She would come into the outpatient clinic once a week to get her blood drawn. I got to know her very well, along with what she does and doesn’t like when caring for her. For example, Charley doesn’t like Band-Aids!

Families say that I’m a calming presence in the room. They also tell me that I’ve got a gift for making those pokes painless for kids, and that’s magical.

Christian I Gerken NEPHROLOGY PAT I E N T CA R E TECHNICIAN

spend most of my days running from patient room to patient room, making sure our nurses have everything they need to care for kids.

As techs, we’re there for everything from making sure patients have had something to eat and drink to wrapping their IVs so they can take showers to transporting patients to exams. I keep kids company when their parents have to step out of the room for a moment. I feed babies, change diapers and rock them to sleep. It’s not an easy job, but it’s the patients who make your day better.

I always make sure that when I'm walking through those hospital doors, I’m in a good mood. For the 12 hours that I’m here working my shift, I try to make their hospital experience better.

Dev Desai,

C H I E F O F PE D I AT R I C T R A N S PL A N TAT I O N AT C H I L D R E N ’ S H E A LT H ; THE REGENTS DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR IN MEDICAL RESEARCH AND PR O F E S S O R AT UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

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lifelong change for children who have serious illnesses that keep them from being kids.

Philosophically, we’re helping give someone a second chance at life.

Kidney and liver failure are life-threatening illnesses, and without a transplant, these patients won’t survive into adulthood. And it’s not because of anything they did. They were born with conditions that cause liver and kidney failure.

I’m not sure that I bring the magic, but giving kids an opportunity to live a normal childhood is hopefully what I bring to patients.

Transplant is a very resource intensive effort. Patients take medications for life. They have lots of visits here, which

Elizabeth Tekyi, RN VA S CU L A R ACCESS

disrupts their school. We care for kids from across Texas and from surrounding states, so we try to do things remotely and use technology when we can. But those resources are expensive and philanthropic investments help us care for patients better in that way.

this necklace that says “Best IV I keep Nurse” that Charley made me in my car. I’ve changed cars twice, and it’s come with me each time.

Sometimes, we think we are the ones who touch families, but if you let them, the kids will touch you. And Charley really touched me the day she gave me that necklace.

These kids are a blessing to me and have humbled me. I’m amazed at how they always have smiles on their faces, and after I insert an IV, they will thank me.

They know that we’re here to help them.

Donations help us extend our research so that we can better care for kids. In the years I’ve been doing this, there have been advances in how we give IVs to kids so that it’s a better experience for them, and a lot of that is because of research.

Everyone has a part to play in caring for kids, and donors help support us so that we can continue to do what we do best at the bedside.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

M.D., PH.D.

transplant has P ediatric the ability to create a

child life specialist, I make a difference in kids’ lives A sbya helping them overcome fears. It’s my job to see kids

Karoline Radka CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST

before transplant and prepare them for surgery, which can sound like a scary experience. But we help minimize some of those fears.

I always say that I’m a teacher for the hospital and part of my job is helping kids when we have to do hard things here.

Surprises are for birthday parties, not the hospital. I want to prepare them for what’s going to happen to their body.

During the holidays, child life specialists make sure that every kid receives a present through our store, which allows parents and guardians to pick out their own gifts at no cost because they are provided by generous donors.

The work we do would not be possible without philanthropic support. Donors help provide resources for medical play, iPads to support kids through challenging procedures and toys to give to anxious kids. Donations impact the work we do every day.

transplant, there are many added stressors such as new W ith medications and the adjustment of taking care of a new organ.

We know that this life altering experience can elicit strong emotions and new behaviors for both children and teens. I am their safe person for kids to process their emotions with and to help them problem-solve as they go through their transplant journey.

In the last several years, the country has faced a mental health crisis.

Being able to hire more clinical therapists has made a huge impact on the patients we serve.

On the transplant team, they hired me as a second therapist because they saw the need. Now, patients can be seen in-house with their team, rather than being referred out to someone in the community.

Since I’m part of the transplant team, I better understand patients’ medical care and can speak to their experience.

CLINICAL

Kelsey Rogers THERAPIST SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANT been a nurse here for almost two decades I ’ve and love to see how patients improve after

Lucy Antony, RN H E M O D I A LY S I S

a dialysis treatment. As a nurse, I play a lot of different roles. I’m an advocate. I’m a teacher. I’m like a mother.

When they’re here for treatment, they’re often sitting in the chair for three to four hours. Donors have helped provide funding for iPads to distract them for that period. They also provide resources to help us celebrate special occasions for kids — birthdays, Halloween and the holidays — which brings a little joy during treatment.

At the end of the day, if the patient feels better, I feel better. I evaluate myself based on how comfortable I made my patients that day. Did my presence impact that child’s care? Most days, I’m very happy when I go home.

T Raymond Quigley, M.D.

Rebecca O Hoo KIDNEY DONOR

ne day, I was scrolling on Facebook when I came across a post from a mutual friend saying that Charley was looking for another kidney. A couple weeks later, there was another post, and this time, I learned that Charley and I were the same blood type.

For whatever reason, I could not let this go.

I thought about it all the time. I decided there must be a reason that I can’t read about this and forget it. There was a combination of my faith, and that it kept popping up in my head and my heart.

Before the surgery, I spent a week quarantining with Charley and her grandmother, and during that time, I really got to know them. And it was funny because the more time I spent with Charley, the more I realized how similar we are personality-wise. It was like she was a mini-me. It was so bizarre that our kidneys matched because so much of us matched.

I didn’t bring the magic of the holiday season to Charley — I shared it with her. And now, we have this unbreakable bond.

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C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

PE D I AT R I C N E PH R O LO G I ST AT C H I L D R E N ’ S H E A LT H A N D PR O F E S S O R AT UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

he kidney is the master organ in your body. It regulates everything. And my job is to work with kids who have kidney diseases and kidney failure that requires dialysis to cleanse their blood until they can receive a kidney transplant.

I’ve worked at Children’s Health for several decades, but when I was a resident here, I happened to be oncall during the holidays. I’ve been playing the fiddle for a long time and brought my violin to play some carols for patients and team members.

Since then, it’s a tradition that I’ve continued during the season. And even other times throughout the year, I’ll play for patients while they’re receiving dialysis treatment or in the ICU after a transplant.

I hope my music cheers them up a little bit and lets them know that they’re going to be OK.

BRING THE MAGIC

Rhyan Brown, APRN, CPNP-PC NEPHROLOGY NURSE PRACTITIONER

I

first met Charley as a charge nurse on the inpatient unit when she was 18 months old. I cared for her multiple times in preparation for her first transplant.

Then, I went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. This time, I had the opportunity to support Charley as a nurse practitioner in dialysis as she prepared for her second transplant. I love being able to offer continuity of care to patients.

Growing up, my cousin was treated here for leukemia as a toddler. This experience sparked my interest in nursing. I then volunteered at Children’s Health as a teenager. I helped in the playrooms and sat with patients when their parents and guardians couldn’t be in the hospital room.

Nurses make the hospital function. We’re the voice for the patient and family as they navigate difficult situations.

bring the magic by the numbers

3,295 300 HUNDREDS THOUSANDS 75 patients listened to Santa read holiday stories that brought cheer to their bedsides in 2022

festive wreaths at Children’s Medical Center Dallas

of brightly-colored decorations lining hospital hallways

of toys and gifts generously donated for patients

wreaths and trees adorned with ornaments, lights and ribbon at Children’s Medical Center Plano

Thiago and Laura against leukemia

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T

hiago was about to undergo a bone marrow transplant at the Children’s Health Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The treatment, which would wipe out his immune system to receive donor bone marrow through a transfusion, had the power to cure his leukemia.

But Laura knew the journey wouldn’t be easy.

That year already had been tough, after Laura received a call at 9:05 a.m. in January 2021 confirming her worst fear: Thiago had cancer.

Instead of going to kindergarten, they rushed to Children’s Health.

the Emergency Department, I nclinicians ran several tests to learn more about Thiago’s condition and give Laura a clear diagnosis.

When she was ready, a physician carefully explained that Thiago had acute lymphoblastic leukemia — the most common childhood cancer that is found in the blood and bone marrow and affects white blood cells.

“I’m a single mom, and she was telling me all of this by myself,” Laura said. “She made it easier by really listening to my feelings. She asked if I wanted anyone to be with me — I didn’t have to do this alone. She wasn’t just a doctor caring for Thiago, she was really caring for me, too.”

Laura called in her mom, who was waiting outside. Laura’s mom only speaks Spanish, so the care team

included a translator to explain the diagnosis to both of them.

Thiago was admitted to the hospital that day and started receiving chemotherapy three days later. and Laura share a special T hiago bond that grows between a single parent and an only child. It’s Laura and Thiago against the world.

When leukemia became part of that world, Laura bought every book and read every article she could find. She asked each doctor if she could record what they said during the appointment, so she could listen again later to make sure she understood everything.

Initially as part of his treatment, Thiago received CAR-T cell therapy to destroy the cancer cells. The treatment is an option for patients when traditional approaches like chemotherapy are not successful.

Children’s Health was one of the first pediatric hospitals to develop this form of T-cell immunotherapy for children, drawing families from around the world to benefit from the expertise of our clinical teams. Now, the hospital system continues to treat more children with CAR-T cell therapy than any hospital in Texas.

After the treatment, Thiago’s leukemia was in remission, but physicians advised a bone marrow transplant as a preventative

¡COMPARTE FELICIDAD!

procedure to prevent the cancer from returning.

Clinicians helped Laura organize a 6th birthday celebration for him two weeks after his transplant. They strung a Super Mario banner behind his bed and filled the room with balloons and presents.

Some of Thiago’s favorite days were when the music therapist came by and gave him a guitar lesson. She even brought him his own guitar thanks to generous donors who support the child life and music therapy program.

“Going to Children’s Health is like going to our second home,” Laura said. “We see so many people we love and so many people who have cared for us like family.”

Share the happiness of the season with patients like Thiago at bringmagictochildrens.com.

C H I L D R E N ’ S M E D I CA L C E N T E R FO U N DAT I O N

O N E F A M I LY ’ S J O U R N E Y O F R E S I L I E N C E A N D S T R E N G T H