On September 28, nearly 500 guests gathered at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott for the Spirit of the Woods gala benefiting Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands. The spectacular evening was filled with stunning performances by Antigravity, a high-energy aerial and acrobatics group which showcased the power of the human body and spirit. Thanks to the entertainment sponsored by Woodforest National Bank, guests were treated to highflying acts and daredevil drops all in support of the outreach and care Texas Children’s provides to underserved families in the community.
President of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, Michelle Riley-Brown, welcomed guests and provided updates on the hospital’s successes since opening in 2017, including the remarkable milestones of completing 351,000 patient visits, more than 86,100 emergency center visits, and 18,787 surgeries. She also commended the astounding generosity of The Woodlands community, which – through this gala – helped raise more than $800,000 to care for the area’s most vulnerable children.
Chief surgical officer at Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, Dr. Jeffrey Shilt, introduced the event’s honorees, Missy and Wayne Herndon. At the tender age of six, The Herndon’s son was diagnosed with batten disease, a rare, inherited pediatric neurological disorder that strikes young, otherwise healthy children. Following this prognosis, the Herndon’s partnered with Beyond Batten Disease Foundation to raise funds from generous donors in The Woodlands, the Houston area and Texas. Since then they have been an integral part of the community and continue to make a lasting impact on Texas Children’s.
The gala was made possible by Stacey and Steve Bourque, as well as the dedicated gala committee. The hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Sirbaugh, helped close out the evening by sharing the transformational impact the gracious support of these individuals, and those in attendance, has on Texas Children’s mission. Through their generosity, and that of the community at large, the most vulnerable children in The Woodlands are able to receive the best care possible regardless of their ability to pay.
