A Very Special Premiere – Visionaries

A Very Special Premiere

Last October, when faced with rising COVID-19 cases in the community, we made the difficult decision to postpone our annual gala. While many of our supporters had already saved the date on their calendar, we seized the opportunity to host a virtual premiere of a very special documentary, Blythedale Children’s Hospital — Anything is Possible.

The half-hour-long documentary was produced by Visionaries, an awardwinning documentary series that runs on public television and is hosted by Sam Waterston. The episode, which is currently airing on PBS stations nationwide, highlights Blythedale’s Post-NICU program and Assistive Technology programs, as well as the Hospital’s important public policy and advocacy work. Blythedale was selected from a large pool of impressive nonprofits for profile in the series’ 25th season, one in which the focus is on the provision of health care to vulnerable populations.

Visionaries Senior Producer Jody Santos joined us virtually for our premiere and shared her sentiments on producing the film. “It was such an honor to tell the story of Blythedale Children’s Hospital and the incredible staff, families and children that make up this place. This documentary holds a special place in my heart. As the mother of a child with a disability, I know what it’s like to fight for services for my son and to be told that I’m asking for too much or have unreasonable expectations of what’s possible. So walking through the doors of Blythedale was almost like entering an alternate universe for me. The staff’s approach was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Give these kids everything they need and then some. I saw that same spirit in Larry Levine, Blythedale’s president and CEO. Staff told me again and again that he’d asked them, ‘How can we serve our kids even better?’ and then somehow, he’d find a way to make it happen, bringing in new funding and programs. Imagine working for a place where your boss dared you to dream and then made those dreams possible. That’s what it’s like at Blythedale.”

To view the documentary, visit www.blythedale.org/visionaries

Many thanks to our generous supporters!

David and Faith Pedowitz John L. and Hope L. Furth AE Family Foundation Howard and Nancy Adler Kohl’s Cares