Our Stories

The Houlihan Family

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

Davies Family

“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.”

Huffines Family

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

The Pogue Family

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.

Rees-Jones Family

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.

Ashleigh

As a Children's Health employee, Ashleigh finds it important to give back monetarily to her place of work because she sees first hand the difference it makes.

Amy Korenvaes

In 2006, Amy and her husband, Harlan, established the Harlan and Amy Korenvaes Endowment, which now supports the virtual reality program at Children's Health.

Sierra

“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.

BHIG Initiative

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

The Wade and Martin Families

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 Watson Family

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.

Phyllis

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.

Chuck

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.

Luis Perez

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

Andrea

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.

2023 Red Balloon League

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

Dr. Norberto Rodriguez-Baez

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.

Jenni and Dalton McGaha

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 Commits $2M

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 Gives Back

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

The Sanford Family

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.

Tom Lamphere and Jan Richey

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.    

The Benson Family

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

The Riseman Family

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.

Sandra Estess

“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.

Debbie and Ric Scripps

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

DFW Gaming Village

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

Mini Hooves of Love

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

Tony

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.

Pat Haggerty Jr.

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.

Capital One Gives Back

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

Dr. Browne and Best

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.

A Brighter Future For Mental Health

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

Jason Robertson's Toy Drive

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

Caring For Kids: Mind and Body

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

White Oak Fundraisers

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.

2022 Red Balloon League

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

Ernie and Janice Holmes

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.

Ruth

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

PGA Memes Founder Gives $1 Million

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.

Estate Planning Week

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

NorthPark Santa Retirement

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.

Tanner and Caleb's Care Team

Meet Tanner and Caleb's care team, a collection of employees at who make their experience at Children's Health enjoyable, even through difficulties.

Truman Factory

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.

PetSmart Charities Grant

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.

2021 Red Balloon League

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

Eagle Family

Grateful to their doctor for saving their daughter’s life twenty years ago, John and Jennifer Eagle established the Eagle Family Endowment Fund in his honor.

Ace Hardware Gives Back

In 2020, the Coppell Ace Hardware store raised more than $45,000 through Round Up for Kids and other efforts to benefit Children’s Health.

Carlos' Caregivers

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.  

The highest level of neonatal care

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.

Robbie and Lynore Robinson

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.

2021 Tax Changes

Following Pres. Biden's speech to a joint session of Congress, Children's Medical Center Foundation is helping you plan charitable giving to reduce tax burden.

Dr. Andy Koh

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.   

Gino and Catherine Sabatini

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.

Therapy Dogs

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.

Plano Expansion

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.

Stacey

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.

Wendell

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.

Dr. Pam Okada

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

Betty

“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.”

Children's Health Heroes

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.

Volunteers

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

Ryan

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

Terry

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.

Shahenaaz

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

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

Arlton

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

Lori

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

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

Dr. Andy McGarrahan

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

Rebecca

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.

Social Workers in the ER

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.

Kohl's Cares Program

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.

Emergency Room Renovation

Children's Health has begun construction on a $56 million, multi-year renovation to its emergency room at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.