Summer 2025
Children’s
From
the Desk of James P. Digan
Dear Friends and Supporters,
The last several months have been full of exciting developments at Nemours Children’s Health that were made possible by your support. I remain grateful to all of you for your unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of the children and families we serve.
In March, we celebrated the grand opening of the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. The Moseley Foundation Institute was made possible by a transformational gift — one of the largest ever made to a children’s hospital — from the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation. Our new institute dramatically enhances the patient experience and all aspects of our expansive hematology-oncology clinical care, research, training, and community outreach initiatives.
In this edition of In the Loop, you will read more about how support from donors like you directly translates to better health and lives for children. You will also learn about our plans to enhance facilities across the enterprise to better meet the needs of our growing patient population, and you will find meaningful opportunities for engagement in the coming months.
I hope you enjoy reading the summer edition of our newsletter, and I cannot wait to see you at one or more of our upcoming events. Thank you for everything you do, from volunteering to donating toys and contributing financial support, to help us accomplish our shared vision of creating the healthiest generations of children.
With gratitude,
James P. Digan President, Nemours Children’s Health Alliance
Historic Expansion Plans
It’s definitely not a secret. Just ask any patient receiving care at one of our hospitals, primary care practices, specialty care clinics, collaborating hospitals, or urgent care centers: Nemours Children’s provides cutting-edge and compassionate care that is also nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report in multiple specialties.
As demand for access to our clinicians grows, we are compelled to ensure that we can serve all children and families who need us. Nemours Children’s is excited to share plans for an unprecedented physical and programmatic expansion from Delaware to Florida.
This is a momentous turning point, and we are excited to share more in the coming months about how you can join us in advancing this essential endeavor. Philanthropic support will be crucial to maximize the reach and long-term impacts of these efforts.
Our Delaware expansion includes a groundbreaking new program. With more than $130 million in investment, this is the largest one-year capital investment in Delaware in our history.
Plans include:
A Groundbreaking Maternal and Fetal Health Program
We’re expanding our Advanced Delivery Program (which provides advanced care for high-risk newborns and their mothers) to include new labor and delivery suites, antepartum and postpartum rooms, and operating rooms for both fetal and maternal care.
Expansion of Cancer Care
The Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders features a family-centered design with emergent technology and greatly expanded care, allowing us to make immediate and longterm impacts in treatment and research. (See story on page six.)
We’re expanding other specialty programs, like neonatology and cardiology, throughout the hospital as well.
Revitalization of the Historic Alfred I. duPont Institute Building
Our first and time-honored building is being beautifully redone as an administrative office building, both honoring its legacy and repurposing it for modern use.
Florida Expansion to Address Growing Pediatric Demand
We currently serve more than 300,000 children and teens in Florida. And, as the fastest-growing state in America, Florida will soon have an even greater need for pediatric services.
In response to the needs of the community, we’re investing $300 million to expand existing buildings as well as new facilities to serve more families.
Planned expansions include:
An 11,000-square-foot hospital expansion. This will double the size of the Emergency Department, increase space for the Imaging Department and add new hospital beds and observation rooms.
A new 75,000-square-foot center. This will add new operating rooms, new patient exam rooms and space for our rapidly growing orthopedics program, including a new International Limb Correction Center and a new Gait and Motion Analysis Lab — the first and only accredited in Florida — as well as an expansion of our Sports Medicine program.
A new 75,000-square-foot administrative building. This new building will feature much-needed office space, and a new 800-space parking garage.
None of this progress would be possible without compassionate investments from individual philanthropists and organizations throughout the remarkably supportive communities we serve. These investments mark the beginning. The pace of what’s possible will be shaped by continued philanthropic support. You, too, can have a direct impact on critically ill and injured kids and their families.
Please reach out to Kevin Carraccio at 267.847.2097 or kevin.carraccio@nemours.org with your questions about our vision and opportunities to support this exciting new chapter for children’s health outcomes and well-being.
Aaron Carpenter
Named New President, North Florida
Following a national search, Aaron Carpenter, DNP, MDiv, APRN, CPNP-PC, has been appointed as the North Florida president of Nemours Children’s. In this role, he oversees the operations and strategic direction of our facilities in the North Florida region, including Jacksonville and Pensacola.
Dr. Carpenter joined Nemours Children’s Health in 2016. Most recently, he served as senior vice president, chief nursing and patient operations officer. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Carpenter has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care and pediatric emergency medicine, and he is board certified in pediatrics by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Sacred Heart University, a master’s degree from Yale University, an MDiv from Trinity School for Ministry and a DNP from Robert Morris University. Dr. Carpenter is dedicated to fostering leadership in children’s health and linking clinicians with opportunities for career advancement.
Local foundations invest locally.
We are grateful to the Crystal Trust Foundation and the Dart Family Foundation, both located in Delaware, for their generous investment in Nemours Children’s Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). This simulation training program enhances medical professionals’ technical, cognitive, and behavioral skills in a controlled, realistic environment, allowing them to safely practice until they perfect their techniques. The foundations’ philanthropy is instrumental to the ongoing excellent care we provide.
The NICE program addresses how care is provided and why those actions should be chosen. Participants learn the crisis resource management skills needed to successfully communicate and carry out the chosen care plan with team members, patients and families. NICE’s unified mission and coordinated approach also allows us to successfully use simulation to test new spaces, systems, processes and flow.
NICE is the only center of its type in Delaware, serving the entire state and region. Notably, the Society for Simulation in Healthcare has consecutively accredited NICE as one of 15 simulation centers in the world fully accredited in systems integration and teaching/education. Further, during each accreditation cycle, NICE achieved additional recognition as one of the top six exemplary programs in the world.
Since 2018, NICE’s medical director has given 110 simulation-based presentations and published 20 simulation-based peerreviewed articles. In the same period, NICE hosted 49 courses at Nemours, supporting the region’s medical community through training and education efforts and impacting partners such as physicians, paramedics and providers throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
Our simulation center in Nemours Children’s Institute for Clinical Excellence.
The Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders
After two years of planning, construction and collaboration, the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, opened in March.
Made possible by a $78 million contribution from the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation — the largest single gift in our history — the Moseley Institute represents a significant advancement in providing integrated, family-focused, and compassionate care for children with cancer and blood disorders.
Each year, Nemours Children’s cares for approximately 500 children with cancer, 1,000 with sickle cell disease, and 600 with other blood disorders. From private rooms to spaces where families can cook, relax, and play together, every detail of the new 24-bed inpatient unit reflects the needs of those it serves. Construction is underway on the Moseley Institute’s 19,000-square-foot outpatient Day Hospital and infusion center, which is expected to open in October. These spaces are available for naming opportunities, and donor support will help enhance programming and vital support services in the new space.
The grand opening was marked by a day of celebration, featuring the Moseley Institute ribbon-cutting and tours of the inpatient unit. Guests, including Nemours Children’s associates, Moseley Foundation board members and patient families, listened to patients Vishaal and Victoria, who shared some of their memories from their Nemours Children’s journeys.
“I was originally scared at first, but the oncology team and child life comforted me a lot. My favorite day that I had to stay here was Christmas. I was supposed to get one present, but thanks to child life, I ended up with more than 10,” said Vishaal. “One thing I would like to say to all patients who will have to stay here is, it isn’t that bad. All the nurses, doctors and child life workers make the experience as comfortable and painless as possible.”
“My name is Victoria, and I have sickle cell disease. I have been treated here at Nemours since I was a baby. The hospital should never feel like home, but my care team feels like my family. When I am in pain, my doctors and nurses have always been supportive and understanding. They are just the kind of people who won’t dismiss your pain; they take everyone’s pain very seriously.”
As the nation’s only Center of Biomedical Research Excellence funded by the National Institutes of Health for sickle cell disease, we have long shown a deep commitment to alleviating the suffering of children with this often-debilitating disease. The Moseley Foundation, as part of this gift, established the Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Endowed Chair in Sickle Cell Disease Research, which dedicates a perpetual funding stream to develop a better understanding of the condition, more effective treatments, and ultimately, a cure.
Advocating for Children’s Hospitals
Cameron was diagnosed with T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2023 at age 16 after going to the emergency room due to ongoing foot pain.
While receiving a cancer diagnosis was a daunting experience, Cameron was undeterred. Upon learning his disease was curable, he simply responded, “Cool.”
Since then, Cameron has been receiving treatment at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville, maintaining his busy treatment schedule while also being an active high school student.
Cameron’s inspiring story took center stage on Capitol Hill last year during meetings with the Nemours Children’s Federal Affairs team and members of the Florida congressional delegation as part of the Children’s Hospital Association’s annual Family Advocacy Day. Cameron shared his experience receiving care and helped to educate lawmakers and their staff about the unique role children’s hospitals play in pediatric health care.
Cameron highlighted not only his tenacity as a cancer survivor but also the imperative role of children’s hospitals like Nemours Children’s in addressing ever-evolving pediatric health complexities. Cameron and his family have referred to their care team, social workers and staff as “family.”
Currently in remission, he continues to receive maintenance treatment while balancing the busy life of a teenager.
Cameron’s determination and the unwavering support of his family, friends and his care team have allowed him to flourish and continue to embrace the joys of youth. Undeterred.
Nemours patient Cameron in Washington, D.C.
Mysteries and Misdiagnoses
Aubri’s journey began with a painful and scary medical mystery.
For over a year, Aubri, now 17, experienced severe gastrointestinal issues. She was unable to keep food or water down, and before long, she needed feeding tubes placed. Nausea and severe pain plagued her. But her local hospitals were unable to get to the root of her condition, much less provide the care that Aubri desperately needed. They repeatedly claimed her issues were caused by anxiety and a food disorder. But her mom, Alanda, did not trust their diagnoses.
Thankfully, Alanda discovered Chief of General Surgery Nicholas Poulos, MD, at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida.
“When I first met Aubri, she had not really eaten anything by mouth for about two years,” recalled Dr. Poulos.
He uncovered the root of her mystery: superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS), a rare condition where arteries pinch the small intestine. SMAS is extremely rare and often misdiagnosed as other digestive disorders, including ulcers, gallbladder issues, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.
A day after Dr. Poulos performed surgery to move the bowel away from the pinch, Aubri attended our prom, hosted by our Child Life Department, which Alandra called a magical experience for her daughter. Then three days later, Aubri celebrated her surgery with a single bite of a cheeseburger — something she hadn’t tasted in years.
Aubri is now thriving. While she had a GI tube when she played Maria in her high school’s performance of The Sound of Music, this year Aubri will play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz — no tube needed.
Nemours patient Aubri attending our hospital prom
Unknown Angels
Luke’s arrival on July 20, 2016, felt like a small miracle to his parents, Brent and Erin, whose other children, teenagers Max and Alivia, were born thanks to IVF.
When the resident declared a “full bill of health” for Luke in the delivery room, both parents let out sighs of relief. But five minutes later, when Luke was placed in Erin’s arms, she noticed he was struggling to breathe. A nurse agreed, and in a whoosh, Brent followed his new baby boy and their care team to the NICU. With these first steps, Brent knew that his family’s life was going to change — but he couldn’t know how much.
Luke’s first care team diagnosed a very severe case of pulmonary hypertension. In the next breath, Brent and Erin learned that Luke needed to be transferred immediately to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. Nothing that ensued in the following 47 days was part of their plan. Their education was just beginning.
When they admired Luke’s big room in our NICU, they learned that rooms like his were reserved for the very sickest children, so big teams of clinicians and machines could fit, along with the many machines currently tethered to his tiny body.
When Luke needed heart and lung bypass, they learned that ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. And on September 15, when Luke was discharged, they began to learn what tackling life with three children was like.
Brent dubbed their Nemours Children’s care team “unknown angels” in recognition of their extraordinary, compassionate work to save Luke’s life.
Today, he has finished a great year of first grade. Luke loves playing baseball and can’t wait to play for the Philadelphia Phillies someday.
Nemours patient Luke (center) and his (from left) brother, Max, father, Brent, mother, Erin, and sister, Alivia
LUKE’S JOURNEY
A Message From Clint
Travis, AVP of Strategic Giving and Campaign Stewardship
The Underutilized Benefits of a Retained Life Estate
Would you like to support your favorite charity without making a large cash gift? Could you use a tax deduction? Why not consider a retained life estate?
A retained life estate is an irrevocable donation of property, like a home, to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit while retaining the right to live in or use the property for your lifetime or a specified period. For those who do not plan to pass their home to heirs or who already plan to leave an estate gift to charity, this arrangement allows you to make an impactful philanthropic gift without giving up the current use of your property. Nothing changes while you live there and once you pass on, the property immediately transfers to the charity.
As an irrevocable gift, you can receive a current income tax deduction for the fair market value of the property, less the value of your retained life estate. This can be an interesting way to make a gift, particularly if you want to offset an anticipated tax consequence resulting from selling a business, converting a 401(k) into a Roth IRA or some other taxable event.
I would appreciate the opportunity to share how your investment in Nemours Children’s can impact the health of the most vulnerable children. At the same time, you can leave a legacy that will resonate in your community for generations to come.
To learn more about creating a retained life estate or other planned gift, please contact me: clinton.travis@nemours.org or 614.743.4903.
Nemours Children’s Health honors all requests for anonymity.
Upcoming Community Events
Please join us for these popular events to support our patient care!
Nemours Children’s Health Run & Walk
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Nemours Estate 1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, Delaware nemours.org/dvrun
Delaware Valley Golf Tournament
Monday, September 22, 2025
DuPont Country Club Wilmington, Delaware nemours.org/degolf
Nemours Children’s Health Run & Walk Saturday, November 22, 2025
Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville 807 Children’s Way Jacksonville, Florida nemours.org/jaxrun
Philanthropy drives our care.
It can happen anywhere at any time. A sudden medical event upends a routine day, and all focus and energy turn to fighting for your loved one’s every breath and every heartbeat.
For one family, a carefree day at their favorite Florida beach turned into a terrifying struggle for their child’s life. Their 911 call led to an ambulance ride to the emergency room at a well-respected, nationally recognized hospital. Despite their best efforts, the care team informed the family that they could not identify the source of or treat their child’s crisis; they recommended an immediate transfer to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando.
Our critical care transport team promptly responded, serving as the first line of defense by delivering life-saving medical treatments even before the child reached the hospital. Our transport team sustains life en route with access to advanced medical equipment, including specialized medications and therapies not available to traditional ambulance squads. Notably, our critical care transport program is one of the few in Florida authorized to transport infants under one year old.
The emergence of 24/7 acute care transport at Nemours Children’s resulted from deeply concerning data indicating that thousands of Florida children fail to receive critical medical
care each year due to transportation issues. These issues include a lack of vehicle access, inadequate infrastructure for emergency vehicles, and long times to reach necessary services.
Nemours Customized Medical Response Truck
We’re thrilled to report that the child whose medical crisis began on a Florida beach has made a full recovery, thanks to our prompt, critical care transport and passionate, highly skilled clinicians. Their family expressed its gratitude with a generous gift that facilitated our purchase of a new customized medical
response truck, allowing us to serve even more children and families like theirs across Florida. In some cases, philanthropy literally drives our ability to reach children who may not live a whole and healthy life without the care found here.