Thanks to the generosity of more than 300 philanthropy-minded golfers cheered on by our NICU nurses and volunteers and clad in the funkiest pants they could find, Texas Children’s now has an additional $400,000 to support the premature and critically ill babies in our care.
The money was raised at the 23rd annual RBC Bad Pants Open, a golf tournament that has generated more than $7 million in charitable donations since 1996 to enhance innovation and excellence in research, treatment and care of infants in Texas Children’s Newborn Center. The funds from this year’s event will also be used to hire an additional social worker to serve our patients and their families.
Adeline Stephen, a NICU nurse based at the Medical Center campus, was honored with the RBC Bad Pants Nurse of the Year Award for exceptional dedication and delivery of care.
“The great support we receive annually from the RBC Bad Pants Open is extremely inspiring to the entire Texas Children’s NICU team who work tirelessly to ensure brighter futures for our youngest patients,” said Dr. Kristina M. Reber, Chief of Neonatology. “The golfers and donors who support this remarkable tournament help us provide resources that are used to support our NICU families during a very stressful time, and we are truly grateful.”
Texas Children’s NICU is one of the largest of its kind in the country, and the first in the state to earn the Level IV designation that signals our ability to provide the highest level of care available. More than 1,900 babies are admitted to Texas Children’s each year, and more than 900 newborns receive care in the NICU.
For the Fuselier family, whose story was highlighted as part of the tournament, the journey through the Newborn Center started even before their son David as born. Diagnosed with a rare defect that caused a disconnection between his esophagus and stomach, David spent seven months at Texas Children’s – during which he had multiple surgeries and received state-of-the-art medical treatment from our highly specialized physicians.
“The NICU is a very sobering experience,” said Stacey Fuselier, David’s mom. “My nurses became my family and my saving grace. I can’t say enough good things about them. Our journey was a difficult one, but I never doubted we’d found the right care team. Even on the tough days, I was thankful that our baby could get better in a place as exceptional as Texas Children’s Newborn Center.”
For more from the tournament – including remarks from longtime NICU advocate and committee member Les Fox, whose now-adult twin daughters had an extended stay after being born 12 weeks early – click here.
