Pictured: Nurse of the Year 2024 for Structural Empowerment Rougeh T. Awad, Director of Ambulatory Clinical Practice, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, with his wife Rachael Awad.

On May 2, Valley Children's Healthcare announced a historic donation of $15 million that will bring life-saving cancer treatment closer to home. The gift will expand the availability of bone marrow transplants and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy treatments to kids with cancer in the Central Valley, eliminating the need to refer these patients to the few facilities in Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

This anonymous donation is one of the largest single donations in the more than 70-year history of Valley Children's Healthcare. The gift will support not only the establishment and accreditation of the program, which will take three to four years, but also the operational funding of the program's first 10 years.

"With this amazing donation, Valley Children's joins the ranks of top children's hospitals in the nation that can offer these therapies, as well as being among the first to have access to future advances. This is life-saving advancement for our patients," says Dr. Vinod Balasa, medical director of Valley Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

CAR T-cell therapy is an advanced therapy that uses the body's natural immune system to fight cancer and infections. Autologous bone marrow transplants replace diseased bone marrow with other healthy marrow cells from their own body. The approach has been used for more than 50 years, and in a key CAR T-cell study in 2021, approximately 60% of children who underwent the therapy were cancer-free after 5 years.

As this wonderful news ripples throughout our community, we want to take time to thank you, fellow philanthropists. At Valley Children's we see it every day, in big ways like this, and in millions of smaller ways: it's the power of philanthropy to save lives.

Local Philanthropist

Shirley Fisher Establishes Nursing Scholarship

A scholarship was recently established through a gift from philanthropist Shirley Fisher in honor of recently retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Terea Giannetta. The Terea Gianetti scholarship will provide financial assistance to aspiring nurses pursuing their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, empowering them to advance their education and make a positive impact in healthcare. Terea leaves a tremendous legacy at Valley Children's after her 32 years of service here, and we can't think of a better way to show appreciation for nurses than what Shirley has done - to plan a thoughtful gift that will continue giving to the nursing community here at Valley Children's.

Valley Children’s continues to be a member of an elite group of hospitals to receive a c designation for nursing excellence, but this year’s designation elevates the organization even further. Valley Children’s is now one of only 78 Magnet® organizations in the world achieving Magnet Designation® at least five times and one of only 48 pediatric hospitals in the United States (out of more than 230) that are Magnet Designated®.

Our nurses were celebrated last month for achieving this incredible recognition for their unwavering dedication to children's health. Thank you for all you do to bolster the work of our excellent nursing team. This recognition could not have happened without the support of people like you.

Local Costco associates and managers recently visited the hospital to celebrate their outstanding 2023 achievements and see firsthand where their funds go, as well as prepare for this month’s campaign. Last year, the eight warehouses raised a record-breaking $933,866 that directly funds patient services, equipment and research at Valley Children's Hospital.

During the event, Costco associates heard from our 2024 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion, Davey Jean, and her mom Brittney, who shared Davey Jean’s moving story. Dr. Razzaqi from our Cancer and Blood Disorders Center also spoke to the group about how funds they raise help the families in his care.

Costco’s 2024 “Month of Miracles” runs through May 31. Please make sure to stop by your local Costco to thank the associates for their incredible support. See how our patients have expressed their thanks in this video.

We are thrilled to announce a new community partner. Small Town Big Living Realty has dedicated 10% of all brokerage commissions to go to Valley Children's Nephrology Department.

Small Town Big Living Realty opened its doors several years ago and has quickly become a Central Valley favorite. Voted Best in Central California last year and nominated again this year, the agency announced their ongoing gift to Valley Children's on their Instagram @SmallTownBigLivingRealty in early March.

Rachael Awad, owner and broker at Small Town Big Living, said her team is 100% committed to giving back to their community. Many of the agents there have previous experience in the healthcare field, and one even worked at Valley Children's Hospital.

The Nephrology Practice at Valley Children's provides a specialized approach to the care of infants, children and adolescents with congenital and aquired kidney disease.

"Kidney disease is hard for everyone, but even more so for a child," says Rachael.

Thank you to the incredible team at Small Town Big Living Realty for their generous partnership!

Join us in welcoming new community partner Just Porch It, where you can repurpose your excess clothes and household items for a cause! Schedule a free home pick up HERE. All of the proceeds will benefit the Child Life Department, which supports our patients' healing through play and education.

Thank you to the team at Just Porch It for your ingenuity and support of our patients' wellbeing.

Our CMN Hospitals partner, Costco, is raising much needed funds for Valley Children's during the month of May. While you're visiting your local Costco this month, please consider donating at the register.

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