Our Stories

Inspired by her family’s roots in health care, Fatima Villarreal grew a summer internship into a career that shows how every role — and every gift — strengthens Children’s Health^SM and makes the impossible possible for kids and families.  

Children’s Health is proud to announce the appointment of Dai Chung, M.D., Chief Medical Executive at Children’s Health and Professor of Surgery at UT Southwestern, as the first holder of the Dr. George W. Dorman Master Physician in Pediatric Surgery, thanks to an endowment established by an anonymous family.

Children’s Health leaders invest in the hospital system’s growth and hope their pledges will inspire others to join them.

Longtime Dallas residents, Helen and John Carona have watched the city grow. Now, they want to help build the future for children with a $5 million pledge to the new Dallas pediatric campus.

Communities Foundation of Texas awards $9.7 million to local nonprofits expanding access to health services

After their daughter was born with a congenital heart defect, Alice and Kevin Chou established endowments and made a pledge to support the future of Children’s Health.

Jordan and Annie Spieth Honor Childhood Friends with $250,000 Endowment for Pediatric Cancer Research at Children’s Health℠

For the former Children’s Health patient, this starts with telling her story and including the hospital in her will while a young adult.

Sara and facility service dog Atticus' work brings smiles to patient faces and helps their healing, so setting up a recurring payroll deduction to give back was an easy decision.

A long-time supporter of Children’s Health and former nurse at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Nancy Long has had a dedicated history with the institution as the daughter of the former president of Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

A volunteer for three decades, Wanda is leaving a legacy to impact patients at Children’s Health long after her volunteer service.

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern announced a nine-figure grant from the Moody Foundation in support of the new $5 billion Dallas pediatric campus.

Jennifer Roady has made a career out of making the hospital less intimidating to kids and families. And she knows the work is more important now than ever as the health care needs of kids in North Texas are growing.

The Senior Director of Social Work at Children’s Health, Ben Retta commits to a lasting legacy, making life better for kids through the Bradford Legacy Society.

The Miller family’s journey with Children’s Health inspired them to give back, helping build a new, world-class pediatric hospital in Dallas.

Harnessing the power of community, research coordinator Shahenaaz turns milestones into fundraisers that support Children’s Health and its patients.

For decades, Wendell Muhammad has kept Children’s Health safe—and as a proud supporter, he gives back, knowing every contribution helps make a difference for patients.

Broadcasting at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Armando welcomes grateful patient families to share their stories with his Chiquilin Todas Las Mañanas audience.

Two decades ago, Joyce and Denny Houlihan planted their legacy in a building a couple miles from the Dallas North Tollway in Collin County.

“Our family feels that in supporting pediatric health, we’re supporting our community,” Natalie said. “We love raising our kids here and having Children’s Health available to every family is a real strength for our community.”

For more than 20 years, Temple Shalom has hosted “Fore the Kids,” an annual charity golf tournament. Golf activities fill the day that's dedicated to Children's Health.

The Huffines Family celebrated their 100th anniversary with $100,000 gift to Children’s Health.

The Pogue Family quietly supported Children's Health for decades. Now, the family has committed a historic $100 million to the new Dallas pediatric campus.

More than a decade ago, Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones believed in a dream to help kids in the child welfare system. Now, they've committed $100M to help kids in North Texas and beyond for generations to come.

Meet Ashleigh Panelli: one of the longest-giving employee donors to Children’s Health

Decades-long supporters of Children’s Health, Amy Korenvaes and her family have committed to help kids through our biggest project yet: the new pediatric campus in Dallas

To date, the organization has awarded more than $3 million to Children’s Health physicians spearheading innovative cancer research initiatives.

“A lot of people my age are not thinking about wills or life insurance, but I live with the thought that today could be my last and where would I want the funds to go?” Sierra said.

The Behavioral Health Integration and Guidance (BHIG) initiative trains pediatricians to better identify and address mental health problems before they become a crisis.

$100 million donation from Rees-Jones Foundation and groundbreaking for the $5 billion campus marks new era of pediatric care in North Texas and beyond

Generosity of Dallas-based foundation will help transform care for children in North Texas and beyond.

Kyle and James Martin utilized their wedding as an opportunity to start an endowment for Children's Health - asking for donations in lieu of gifts to start their marriage.

The Watsons established an endowment that will be used to attract, recruit and retain highly qualified physicians and allow them to pursue professional development and research.

As she exits her 10-year career at Children's Health, Phyllis Gilchrist's parting gift is a legacy donation that will continue to give back to the hospital long after her last day.

A consistent annual donor for more than two decades, he also has made several legacy gifts. In 2022, he established a matching gift to encourage others to make recurring monthly donations to Children’s Health.

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern announced a $100 million donation from the Pogue Family in support of the new $5 billion Dallas pediatric campus.

Local tattoo artist Luis Perez hosted a fundraiser to support pediatric cancer research at Children's Health.

For three decades, Neighborhood Credit Union has been a proud partner of Children’s Health, including through sponsorships of the BOO Yard Sign Challenge and Swing Fore Miracles.

One of Dallas’ top community leaders and a proud member of the Women’s Auxiliary to Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Andrea was chosen to be a 2023 NorthPark Ambassador and in turn, chose to champion Children’s Health.

Meet our 2023 Red Balloon League, a collection of employees, patients, families and supporters of Children's Health, unifying to make the impossible possible.

From the moment he greets his patients when they arrive for the doctor's appointment, Dr. Rodriguez-Baez's positive energy and sense of humor are indisputably contagious.

"For us, the people who shop in our supermarkets are not customers—they are our neighbors, and we want to support them." - said Hamdy Shalabi, CEO.

Throughout the month of April, the Estrella Media team and their listers raised over $8,000 to support programs like clinical research.

Jenni and Dalton committed a major gift to the new eight-story, 395,000-square-foot tower under construction and scheduled to open next year at the Plano campus.

Curing Kids Cancer has committed the largest clinical research endowment gift to the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health in the system’s history.

Marriott’s giving through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has supported Children’s Health in countless ways, raising nearly $2 million dollars.

This spring, the Sanfords established a $100,000 endowment named Ceci’s Fund for Clinical Research to distribute annual funds to support clinical research and honor their daughter.

For decades, Tom and Jan have been dedicated supporters of Children’s Health, focusing on programs that support the holistic experience we bring to patient care.

Family means everything to the Bensons — that's why they give back through time and treasure to Children's Medical Center Plano.

The Risemans have been giving to Children’s Health in honor of their son Ryan who died at the age of 28 after completing years of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“I really believe that today’s children are tomorrow’s future, and we need to give them every chance to see that their future can be bright,” Sandra said.

Couple establishes endowments to support research, child life, saying an investment in kids ‘comes back to you tenfold.’

Children’s Medical Center Foundation Announces $1 million donation from Take 5 to support the expansion of Children’s Medical Center Plano.

Gamers are making life better for children by fundraising for Children’s Health patients and even donating kid-friendly games to patient families.

Magical things can happen when mini hooves step onto the campus of Children’s Health℠, giving patient families and staff the chance to pet a miniature horse.

Volunteering with Child Life allows Tony to repay a bit of the care and comfort his family received before and after his six-month-old daughter passed away.

After Micaela’s Army dissolves, nonprofit unanimously votes to establish two endowments to Children’s Health^SM

Pat's connection to Children’s Health goes back over 70 years, when his little sister, Rosemary, was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in the 1940s.

For the last two years, Capital One has provided critical funding to expand mental health services at our Plano campus through generous gifts.

For the last year, this powerful duo has been at the helm of a first-of-its-kind initiative to train North Texas pediatricians to identify and treat mild to moderate mental health concerns before they escalate.

The Behavioral Health Integration and Guidance (BHIG) Initiative is redistributing when and where children’s mental health concerns are assessed and managed.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson will hold a 'Robo' Holiday Toy Drive benefiting Children's Health from Dec. 10 and through Dec. 23.

To help account for psychological concerns that may result from or be exacerbated by medical conditions, Children’s Health has experts on hand.

The White Oak High School Student Council collected money in cowboy boots at two of their varsity football games in order to donate part of the proceeds to Children’s Medical Center Foundation.

Meet our 2022 Red Balloon League, a collection of employees, patients, families and supporters of Children's Health, unifying to make the impossible possible.

During more than 50 years of volunteering, Ernie and Janice combined for more than 26,000 hours of service at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

Meet Ruth, a Children's Health volunteer with a big smile and bright pink hair.

Children’s Medical Center Foundation announces a $1 million donation from PGA Memes founder Travis Miller to support the expansion at Children’s Medical Center Plano.

October 17-23rd is National Estate Planning Awareness Week and Children’s Health wants to help you make the most of it.

Children’s Medical Center Foundation Announces $500,000 Donation from the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation for Children’s Medical Center Plano Expansion

How a new Ace Hardware in Plano is building a culture of fundraising to support Children’s Health

The Claude Prestidge Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children’s Health is a leader in the care of pediatric cystic fibrosis patients, caring for more than 300 children each year from across North Texas.

The beloved Santa Carl will be retiring from his post as NorthPark Santa after nearly 35 years of bringing joy to the holiday season and to every child he met.

We tracked down 13 team members, whose faces represent the web of support surrounding two brothers with cystic fibrosis at Children’s Health.

We caught up with 17-year-old Truman Wilson to see what drives him and why he gives a portion of the proceeds from his company back to Children’s Health.

With the help of a grant from PetSmart Charities, our pet-assisted therapy dog program is aiming to provide a healthy diversion from the usual hospital routine for children while receiving treatment.

Meet our 2021 Red Balloon League, a collection of employees, patients, families and supporters of Children's Health, unifying to make the impossible possible.

After a pediatric neurosurgeon saved their daughter’s life, John and Jennifer Eagle established an endowment through a gift of $1 million to Children’s Health.

In 2021, North Texas retailers such as Ace Hardware collectively raised $145,079 for Children’s Health.

We tracked down 10 team members whose faces represent the web of support that surrounds one heart transplant patient’s journey at Children’s Health.

In 2020, our NICU was re-designated as a Level IV—the highest possible level—meaning we offer care for the most complex and critically ill newborns, and never have to refer a baby to another hospital for care.

Grateful for the critical care their daughter received at Children’s Health, Robbie and Lynore committed a $1 million bequest in their wills to endow the Child Life department at Children's Medical Center Plano.

Dr. Andrew Koh is studying how the gut microbiome impacts the immune system of cancer and stem cell transplant patients so he can develop new therapies to help his patients.

The Sabatinis were so moved by the care their son, Roman, received after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, they started an endowment in his honor.

Fully funded by Children's Medical Center Foundation, the pet therapy dog program brings joy and comfort to patients at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

Children's Medical Center Plano is undergoing an expansion, with plans for a seven-story tower that will triple patient capacity for the Northern market.

An employee at Children's Medical Center Plano, Stacey unexpectedly had a massive heart attack while at work - but her co-workers were there to save her life.

A security officer at Children’s Health, Wendell has built a more than three-decade career dedicated to keeping team members and patients at the hospital safe.

Expectful waiting is Dr. Okada's motto as an attending physician in the Emergency Department at Children’s Health.

“She felt like this was her hospital. When she met someone, she’d say, ‘I am James Farnsworth’s wife, and he built Children’s.’ She felt a big connection to having been part of that process and was proud of him.”

In their own words and through their own lens, workers at Children’s Health describe what life now looks like in the face of a global pandemic.

'We’re more like sisters’: More than two decades of volunteering turned these strangers into best friends

Ryan, manager of pastoral care at Children's Health, say its the holistic care offered to patients and their families that drives his giving.

Most mornings, you will find Terry Pate, Maintenance Mechanic, Engineering, cleaning a fountain in a secluded courtyard at Children’s Medical Center Dallas – regardless of the weather forecast.

Hoping to raise at least $2,000 to support the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, where she works as a research coordinator, Shahenaaz Sunderji simply asked for help.

Clara and Dianne have been peddling a "fun cart" through the halls of Children's Health for two decades through their volunteer work.

“When God doesn’t give you children, he gives you the opportunities to help other children,” Arlton said.

After beating breast cancer two decades ago, Lori finds countless ways to give back to patients dealing with the stress and anxiety she's all too familiar with.

Christian works behind the scenes at Children's Health, supporting children through technology and fundraising to send them to summer camp.

Through his work at the Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders, Dr. Andy is helping make life better for children.

A lifelong community leader and attorney, Rebecca has maintained strong ties to Children’s Health through leadership on its Board of Directors and as Past President of the Women’s Auxiliary in Plano.

Nancy and her team members have thousands of opportunities each year to support children and their families on some of the hardest days of their life.

What to do When your Child Gets Sick, a program funded by Kohl’s Cares, helped lead to a 6% decrease in repeat low acuity visits to the Emergency Room at Children’s Medical Center Dallas in its inaugural year.