In support of Promise: The Campaign for Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas Children’s and ABC-13 have joined together to highlight amazing stories from the hospital. The stories – many of which will showcase the excellent work you do – will air at 6 p.m. on select weekdays and can be found on ABC-13’s website.
The goal of Promise is to raise $475 million to help the hospital address current challenges and anticipate patients’ needs now and in the future. The money will provide support for five key areas: expanding our critical, surgical and emergency care services through the construction of the new Pediatric Tower, construction of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, establishment of endowed chairs, ongoing support for our divisions and centers of excellence, and charity care.
As employees of Texas Children’s, you too can help us offer hope, comfort and healing to children in this community and around the world by making a promise of your own. Until November 27, ABC-13 will match individual donations to the campaign dollar for dollar up to $100,000. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to double your gift and further change the lives of children in our community and beyond.
To celebrate their AFC South title and to get ready for the first round of the playoffs, the Houston Texans hosted a party Wednesday for patients and families at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Held in the Child Life Zone on the 16th floor of West Tower, the party was filled with all sorts of fun, including face painting, playoff T-shirt giveaways, arts and crafts, and visits from TORO, Texans cheerleaders Jordan and Randi, and Texans ambassadors J.J. Moses, Wade Smith and Eric Brown.
While waiting to get a glimpse of TORO, 7-year-old Gael Esquivel intently colored a football he drew on a playoffs poster he created at the arts and crafts station. The child quickly stopped his coloring when TORO waived him over for a handshake and photo op.
“He’s a huge fan of the Texans and has always wanted to meet TORO,” Gael’s mother, Joanna Esquivel, said as she looked at her son’s smiling face. “As you can tell, he’s very excited.”
Mike Manis said he brought his 2-year-old son Rayden Manis to the playoff party because his family is a huge fan of the Texans and of Texas Children’s Hospital, an organization he described as “going above and beyond for its patients and families.”
“This kind of thing is really great for the kids,” Manis said. “It brightens their day.”
Shannon Green agreed and said her 10-year-old daughter Eden Green has attended various uplifting events at Texas Children’s Hospital during the past several months while being treated for a rare form of bone cancer. Although she wasn’t able to come to the playoff party, Eden got a T-shirt, socks and a signed football from her mom and sister who were able to attend.
“We are huge Texans fans,” Shannon Green said. “We will definitely be rooting for them on Saturday.”
The Texans clinched the AFC South title with January 3rd’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with a final mark of 9-7. The team – which partnered with Texas Children’s almost a year ago to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives – is the AFC’s 4th seed and will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs at 3:35 p.m. Saturday, January 9 in the AFC Wild Card Game.
To show our pride for our home team and partner, CEO Mark A. Wallace is encouraging Texas Children’s fans to wear Texans jerseys, shirts or team colors Friday and Saturday. Khakis or similar slacks may be worn, but please no denim blue jeans, as we wish to present a spirited yet professional appearance to our families.
And we want to see your team spirit too: Send our communications team photos of you and your co-workers in your Texans gear, and you may just end up on Texas Children’s Twitter (@texaschildrens) and Instagram feeds (oneamazingteam). Email your photos to connectnews@texaschildrens.org.
December 22, 2015
On New Year’s Day, 13-year old Peyton Richardson and her family will ride on a float at the 127th Rose Parade for Northwestern Mutual, the presenting sponsor for the 2016 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, CA. The theme of this year’s parade is Find your Adventure.
Peyton, who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in January 2015, is an aspiring ballerina who dreams of traveling around the world to visit the greatest ballet companies and to take a class with each of their principal dancers.
When Dr. Zoann Dreyer, her doctor at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, introduced her to Northwestern Mutual’s video contest, Peyton jumped at the opportunity to share her greatest adventure. Using her mother’s cell phone, she and her mom produced a video at home in their backyard.
After receiving numerous submissions from across the country, Northwestern Mutual selected Peyton’s video. Her greatest adventure and powerful message about not letting leukemia stop her from dreaming big are the inspiration for Northwestern Mutual’s float design aimed at raising awareness about childhood cancer.
“Cancer can take my hair. Cancer can take my school. Cancer can take some friends, but cancer is not going to take ballet,” said Carrie Richardson, as she recalled her daughter’s video message. “It was so powerful that Northwestern Mutual’s contest selection team fell in love with her.”
With the help of the Richardson family, Northwestern Mutual unveiled its float design that Peyton inspired for the 2016 Rose Parade during a special event at Texas Children’s Cancer Center on December 3, which also included a $25,000 check presentation from Northwestern Mutual to the Cancer Center.
“The name of the float is Dancing into Adventure,” Peyton said. “The swans have gold cancer ribbons around their necks because gold is childhood cancer awareness. On the music box with the ballerina, there’s the Australian ballet, the New York City ballet and the Royal Ballet. Those are the landmarks where I want to visit.”
The float will also be decorated with red roses that will be placed in green vials and affixed to the float. The vials contain signatures from Texas Children’s patients and their families. Everyone who signed the vials can “ride” on the float with Peyton.
“It’s really this link together through Peyton and Northwestern Mutual to bring awareness to childhood cancer and the need for research funds, and really to show that children with cancer can live and survive and have wonderful and meaningful lives,” Dreyer said. “There is a huge message in that float.”
Besides helping to design the float, Peyton will wear a beautiful Tiffany blue costume at the Rose Parade assembled by the Houston Ballet’s lead costume designer.
With just days away until her greatest adventure comes alive on national television, Peyton’s excitement is building.
“Once we are on the plane and we land, I think I am going to be like, “Wow, this is really happening. I’m going to be in the Rose Parade,” Peyton said. “I can’t wait.”
Neither can her mom.
“For us to be there, it’s like the end of a very long and hard year for her and our family,” Carrie said. “We’re very excited.”
Watch Peyton and her family ride on the Northwestern Mutual float in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. The parade will be broadcast on NBC at 10 a.m.
At a December 18 celebration, Texas Children’s Hospital announced a $5 million commitment from Direct Energy to the hospital’s Promise Campaign. The gift will be used to help expand Texas Children’s Heart Center in order to serve more children in the Houston community, Texas and the nation.
Direct Energy’s commitment is the largest corporate gift ever made to a Texas Children’s campaign priority. Nearly 200 employees from both institutions gathered at Texas Children’s to celebrate and hear remarks from Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children’s; Michael C. Linn, a member of Texas Children’s Board of Trustees and chair, along with his wife Carol, of the Promise Campaign; and Badar Khan, president and CEO of Direct Energy.
“Direct Energy’s generous support will help ensure Texas Children’s is able to continue to provide highly specialized care to each and every child who comes to us for help – and particularly to those who are the most critically ill and have the most complex needs,” Wallace said.
One of the highest priorities within the Promise Campaign is the expansion of the critical, surgical and emergency care services and facilities at the Texas Medical Center campus, including Texas Children’s Heart Center.
“Texas Children’s is a world-class provider of pediatric care and Direct Energy is proud to join forces with this extraordinary institution and make this meaningful gift,” Khan said. “We know our partnership with Texas Children’s will make a difference in the health and well-being of countless children and families.”
Texas Children’s recently began construction on a new 640,000-square-foot, 19-story pediatric tower. Texas Children’s Heart Center will be expanded and relocated to this pediatric tower to provide complex care more efficiently and serve even more patients. The new facility will also house pediatric intensive care units, cardiovascular intensive care units and operating rooms.
Texas Children’s Heart Center is ranked No. 2 nationally in cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Each year, Texas Children’s Heart Center specialists see 20,000 patients in outpatient clinics. In 2014, Texas Children’s surgeons performed 900 congenital heart surgeries and 32 heart transplants – more than any other pediatric hospital in the nation. Texas Children’s has also pioneered many of the now-standard cardiac procedures used around the world.
Promise: The Campaign for Texas Children’s Hospital is a comprehensive, $475 million fundraising effort launched in 2014 to help ensure the hospital meets the increasing need for specialized care for Houston’s rapidly growing pediatric community. For more information about the Promise campaign, visit www.texaschildrens.org/promise.
Cox Media Group Houston recently held the 12th annual Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon benefitting Texas Children’s Cancer Center, the largest pediatric cancer center in the nation. This year’s radiothon raised more than $592,000.
During the two-day radiothon, DJs on Country Legends and The Eagle broadcasted live from Texas Children’s and shared inspiring patient stories with listeners, encouraging them to take action and back the cause. Funds raised during the radiothon will support innovative research and treatment advances aimed at treating and curing childhood cancer. Texas Children’s Cancer Center strives to provide personalized, comprehensive services that address both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease.
Cox Media Group Houston has raised millions of dollars for Texas Children’s Cancer Center since the Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon began in 2004. In appreciation of their long-standing partnership, Texas Children’s has recognized Cox Media Group Houston with a special naming opportunity in the Cancer Center Infusion Play Area.
Click here for more information about Texas Children’s Cancer Center.
December 15, 2015
Falon Wiesner-Jones was just a baby when she had her first visit to the Texas Children’s Heart Center diagnosed with a congenital heart disease that has been a fabric of her life ever since. Now 33, she’s still a patient at the heart center. Today, she sees specialists in the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program, part of the transitional medicine program that allows pediatric patients to continue their care here at Texas Children’s Hospital into their adult years.
“I’ve been here from day one and I’ll continue my care here,” said Wiesner-Jones who now drives to Houston from Dallas to see her doctors. “The doctors are well-versed in my history and it makes it easier to come to one place and receive all of the care I need.”
Wiesner is part of a growing population of adults with congenital heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 40,000 babies are born each year with a congenital heart disease. It is the most common birth defect.
“The data shows that people who were born in the 1940s and 50s, before the era of advanced surgical and interventional repairs had only about a 15 percent chance of survival past their first birthday,” said Dr. Wayne Franklin, director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Texas Children’s Hospital. “In the modern area, we’ve reversed that and now 85 to 90 percent survive into adulthood so there is a real need for the right care for these adults who have had heart disease throughout their lives.”
That care now includes women’s care for Wiesner who just delivered her second child at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. When she told her physician, Dr. Wayne Franklin, director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Texas Children’s Heart Center, she was pregnant again, he was thrilled to know her care coordination would take place in the ob-cardiac clinic at The Pavilion where both her cardiology doctors and her obstetrician meet in one place to see her during her monthly appointments.
“Women’s health and cardiology were an underserved area in medicine,” said Franklin. “With the Pavilion, we’re able to offer that to her and all of our other patients. We offer multidisciplinary care that is most crucial to these patients during pregnancy.”
Because the heart has to work harder during pregnancy, patients with heart disease are watched closely by an interdisciplinary team, meeting often in the ob-cardiac clinic for appointments.
“It’s reassuring to know all the resources we need are in one spot, all here to help me deliver safely,” Wiesner-Jones said.
Texas Children’s Hospital offers several programs for adults outside of women’s care including heart disease programs, cystic fibrosis programs as well as a program for survivors of pediatric cancer.
“Texas Children’s is now in the arena of adult medicine,” Franklin said.
December 8, 2015
A nice cozy crib is something you might think every child has in his or her bedroom at home, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Caregivers often encounter patients whose parents cannot afford more than their own beds, forcing families to sleep together, which is not always safe.
Our Spiritual Care Department is trying to minimize these situations and is seeking donations of the following items for our patient families in need of safe-sleeping accommodations:
“Your support is greatly needed to provide assistance to mothers and families who might be sharing a bed with an infant, putting the child at risk of a co-sleeping injury or even death,” said Chaplain James Denham. “Our goal is to provide a better, safer sleeping environment for everyone.”
Texas Children’s Hospital will distribute sets (consisting of one crib, one blanket, educational materials from the Center for Childhood Injury Prevention and a note from the donating organization) to families in need.
For more information or to arrange the drop off and/or pick up of donations, please contact the Spiritual Care Department at Ext. 4-7223.
