When Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands opens its doors next year to provide dedicated pediatric care to the fast-growing population of The Woodlands and beyond, it will be the result of a tremendous team effort, including those who donated funds to support the cause.
“Over the past several years, Texas Children’s has received both big and small donations to help build and support Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands,” said the community hospital’s president Michelle Riley-Brown. “Our donors have worked behind the scenes to make this multimillion dollar effort happen and we appreciate everything they have done.”
The Wieghat family recently united to that collaborative effort when their four children pulled together a portion of their allowance money, walked into the Welcome Center in The Woodlands and presented their donation of $78 to Dr. Charles Hankins, chief medical officer of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.
The children – Cora, 6, Hannah, 9, Ruth, 9, and Carson, 11 – decided to give to the hospital when a group at their school had discussed making a contribution to Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.
“The group decided not to donate the money, so the girls wanted to do it on their own,” said the children’s mother Sarah Wieghat, who, along with her husband, often stress the importance of giving as a way to help others. The girls decided to move forward and combine a portion of their allowance to donate. Their parents also joined in by matching the donation.
The Wieghats, who live in the Woodlands, are not strangers to Texas Children’s. They have used Texas Children’s pediatricians for more than 11 years and recently Texas Children’s physicians were able to help their youngest child, Cora, when others could not.
“She has been seen by Texas Children’s physicians in urology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedics and genetics,” Wieghat said, adding that having a hospital just minutes from their home will have a great impact on their family, especially Cora.
Another small but meaningful donation to the hospital will soon be made by the very people who are building it. During a recent walk-through inspection of the hospital, Tellepsen Builders Senior Superintendent John Brock, pulled Eric Allum, assistant director of Support Services, aside and indicated the construction crew and many sub-contractors had expressed a desire to pool their personal money to make a small donation to the hospital.
“In his humble way he indicated it wouldn’t be a large amount, but it was clear the money was coming directly from those who have the least to give,” Allum said. “I was blown away by the gesture but I was not surprised knowing that many of the contractors working on the Woodlands campus are proud to be involved in a project that will help so many.”
Riley-Brown said the expansion of Texas Children’s Hospital continues to remind us that our work is a collaborative effort no matter how big or small the contribution.
This fall Texas Children’s will open its doors to the outpatient building of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands. Soon thereafter in the spring of 2017, Texas Children’s second community hospital will be ready to serve The Woodlands and beyond.
The 560,000-square-foot complex will offer inpatient and outpatient specialty pediatric care, and facilities will include 72 outpatient exam rooms, 25 emergency center exam rooms, 28 critical care rooms, 32 acute care rooms, 12 radiology rooms and four operating rooms.