Heroes Circle

HOPE & HEROES

THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY

Foundation Heroes Circle

Heroes

With Heart

Every child needs a hero they can turn to—someone to support them in their time of greatest need. As a Phoenix Children’s Heroes Circle member, you have chosen to answer the call.

You are part of a select group of our most committed donors who care deeply about the health and well-being of the children in our community. Your thoughtful generosity is what makes you stand out and what makes all the difference for children in need.

Strength in numbers

At Phoenix Children’s, our Heroes Circle community has harnessed the power of collective giving to make the future brighter for Arizona kids and their families, making a significant and immediate impact on patients, clinical care and research.

2022 Heroes Circle impact

$4M+ raised by Heroes Circle members

1K+ Heroes Circle members

269K+ patients served

170+ programs supported by philanthropy

HEROISM:

an uncommon act of performing tremendous goodness for others in need, displaying a concern to make things better for others without expectation of anything in return.

It All Begins With Hope

Hope is the common thread that connects our Heroes Circle members and our patients—hope for healing, hope for cures, and hope for brighter futures. The Hope Fund at Phoenix Children’s provides crucial funds to the areas of greatest need.

New and pressing needs arise constantly. The lack of equipment, technology or other resources is sometimes the only thing standing between a patient’s illness or injury and their ability to get better. The Hope Fund allows us to respond to these needs immediately, often when time is of the essence.

You have helped Phoenix Children’s meet unexpected challenges, take advantage of new opportunities to treat and heal children, and respond to advances in technology, clinical trials and medical breakthroughs that directly impact a patient’s recovery.

The Hope Fund allows us to move quickly and get technology as soon as it becomes available. It really gives us the ability to save more lives.

STEVE SCHNALL Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer

Healing Heart and Soul

Just like the power of philanthropy, the power of music and art cannot be underestimated. Phoenix Children’s Therapeutic Arts program has been a cornerstone of our approach to family-centered care—calming nerves, bringing smiles to children’s faces, and allowing a temporary escape from the stress and worry patients and parents often feel. This transformative program wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for your support.

Joy was born with a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects. During her first year of life, Joy spent much of her time in and out of the hospital but was continually soothed by her mother, Hortencia. A small heart-shaped voice recorder was used to record 15 minutes of her mother speaking, singing and reading to Joy. When Hortencia couldn’t be with Joy in the hospital, the nursing team would use the recorder to help calm Joy.

Over time, Joy began to coo along to the recording of her mom singing. As she progressed, Joy was able to play songs, “dance,” “sing” and shake tiny maracas, using the power of music to support her own healing.

2022 by the numbers

1,915 music therapy sessions

828 art therapy sessions

Music therapy supported me through my difficult moments. I’ve had the opportunity to do art therapy, too, and discovered it gave my mind a break while I waited on my daughter’s recovery.

HORTENCIA

Joy’s mom

Renowned Expertise

When an illness or an injury strikes a child, you want the very best care possible for them. Our ability to recruit talented physicians and invest in the cutting-edge equipment they rely upon is possible because of philanthropy. Thanks to your support, Phoenix Children’s is home to renowned physician-leaders who have chosen to dedicate their vision, passion and talents to our children—children like 5-year-old Loni, who was born with amniotic band syndrome, or ABS.

With ABS, stringlike bands of tissue from the amniotic sac get tangled around the baby in the womb, restricting blood flow. In Loni’s case, some of her fingers didn’t fully grow in. Without a fully functioning thumb, activities like scootering were challenging for her.

Thanks to a toe-to-hand microsurgery— a complex procedure used to reconstruct the hand when fingers are missing—performed by Timothy Schaub, MD, a surgeon at Phoenix Children’s Pediatric Hand Surgery and Congenital Hand Program, Loni is zipping ahead with confidence and newfound independence.

2022 by the numbers

25,600 surgical cases

I had never thought a surgery like this was possible, and the recovery seemed like it would be overwhelming, but Dr. Schaub told me children are much more resilient than we think they are. This journey required me to trust the Phoenix Children’s team, and I appreciate that Dr. Schaub listened to my concerns. It helped me manage my fears so I could help Loni manage her own.

Hope. Healing. Heroes.

Together, hope and healing make up our mission, which couldn’t be realized without you, our dedicated Heroes Circle members. The powerful combination of these tenets— hope, healing, and heroes—are what have helped save children’s lives.

Within the first weeks of Kate’s life, she was diagnosed with salt-wasting disorder, parainfluenza and Legionnaire’s disease, a type of pneumonia. She ended up getting so ill she was placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a life support technique used to support heart and lung function while doctors treat underlying conditions.

After weeks in the hospital, Kate’s condition improved enough for her to go home. A later surgery was performed to place a feeding tube into her stomach for hydration and nutrition.

Through occupational therapy, physical therapy and Phoenix Children’s Intensive Feeding program, Kate’s feeding tube was finally removed when she was 2. She has thrived ever since.

Today, Kate is 8 years old and will be entering third grade. And if she’s not inside drawing, coloring or making up imaginative stories, you can find her outdoors running, jumping and playing.

But what brings the most joy to her mom is seeing Kate go hiking.

“It often brings tears to my eyes seeing her do physical things like that, given what her lungs and little body went through when she was a baby. Even just seeing her run around our backyard makes me teary-eyed.”

All children are valuable to their parents and families. But Kate is such a stabilizing force and such a loving little girl that we truly can’t imagine life without her. This makes us all the more thankful for the army of doctors and nurses at Phoenix Children’s.

JOHN Kate’s dad

Your Gift Is Hope for the Future

When a child needs expert medical care, every donor, every dollar and every moment count. Together, Heroes Circle members like you have planted seeds of hope in the hearts and minds of our young patients fighting the battles of their lives. You have helped us meet challenges and take advantage of incredible opportunities to provide lifechanging and lifesaving care to children in need.

JOSH

602-933-0349 jmundy@phoenixchildrens.com JAMES PARKER

Heroes Circle is a community of dedicated individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in a calendar year to Phoenix Children’s and share a passion for the health and well-being of our patients. Together, Heroes Circle members fuel the lifesaving programs and services that help us provide the best possible care for our patients and their families during their time of need.