Texas History Minute

hospital opened with much fanfare in 1929 Cook died in 1932, leaving most of her estate to the facility

In 1951, the W I Cook Foundation and the Tom B Owens Foundation made a substantial donation to Fort Worth Children’s Hospital to help it build a new facility As a polio epidemic swept through the area, both Cook Hospital and Fort Worth Children’s were overwhelmed In 1952, Cook Hospital decided to expand to 72 beds and focus solely on children as Cook Children’s Hospital and added rehabilitation equipment for polio patients

By 1961, Fort Worth Children’s Hospital moved away from its original location near Texas Christian University to its present location across the street from Harris Methodist Hospital, which had opened in 1930 In the meantime, both Cook Children’s and Fort Worth Children’s worked closely together By 1980, officials at both hospitals decided they could best serve their patients by combining resources and merging into one large hospital A newly-formed board facilitated this merger, which was completed in 1985

The hospitals were consolidated at the Fort Worth Children’s Hospital campus and construction on a modern, expanded facility for what was now Cook-Fort Worth Children’s Hospital began in 1987. The 183-bed expansion was completed in 1989, which included a skybridge connecting it to Harris Methodist Hospital and eventually an interior décor that resembled a castle to help put children more at ease

The name eventually became Cook Children’s Hospital Since 2001, the hospital has invested more than $100 million in new facilities, expanded care, and the latest equipment The hospital now has 443 beds at its main campus in Fort Worth and has expanded to include an outpatient hospital in neighboring Hurst which opened in 2004 The system employs more than 200 doctors The staff routinely deals with situations from injuries to psychological conditions to cancer treatment to premature births and complications from childbirth

The Teddy Bear Transport team includes a staff of 62, two planes, five ambulances, and a helicopter to transport the most critical patients from hundreds of miles away A system of urgent care clinics and specialty clinics are now strung across North Texas and are as far away as Midland and San Angelo The hospital works with doctors and patients in other nations and has brought in patients from the far corners of the world

Disease and suffering are not conditions that must necessarily haunt childhood. The hospital begun by two people trying to alleviate the pain and misery of others has made tremendous strides in ending that affliction, most certainly for the thousands of young patients treated there for its century of existence For the doctors, nurses, and technicians at Cook Children’s, the healing mission has been advanced by providing the most cutting-edge research and technology For the children arriving as patients and their parents, it has provided hope.

Personal note: In 2002, the doctors and nurses of Cook Children’s Hospital saved the life of the author’s newborn son, Kaleb

HHS Class of 1992 to hold 25year student and teacher reunion

July 8 in downtown Howe

Members of the Howe High School Class of 1992 announced over the weekend that they will hold a reunion on July 8 at 2 pm at the Howe Development Alliance in Downtown Howe They are welcoming not only any former classmates that ever were along for the journey at any point, but also any teacher that ever taught the class Early confirmations of teachers and coaches that will be on-hand are Joey and Vicki McQueen, Janie Finney, Bettye Mullins, and Donna Jarma with hopes of many more to attend

Most likely to receive the "Furthest Traveled Award" will be Trong Lieu who currently lives in Pennsylvania and has scheduled a flight

There is a Facebook Event page set up as in hopes of no one being left out This is not a reunion of graduates of the class; it is a reunion of classmates from any time from 1980-1992

For more information, please contact Pam Lankford Kirby or Monte Walker