Changing Lives Through Decades of Devoted Advocacy

When Sandra Estess signed up to volunteer at Children’s Health in 1975, she didn’t want to deliver flowers. She wanted to meet and interact with the patients and families being cared for inside the hospital.  

What began as a volunteer shift helping kids diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders has since grown into 50 years of service to North Texas’ leading pediatric health system.   

Sandra has served as a member of both the Children's Medical Center Hospital Board of Directors and Children’s Health Services of Texas Board. She currently sits on the Children’s Medical Center Foundation Chairman’s Advisory Board, is a previous member and past chairman of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation board and has served on numerous committees.   

A tireless advocate throughout the years, Sandra embodies our mission – to make life better for children – and its purpose has fueled her desire to give both her time and treasure to Children’s Health. 

“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.  

Sandra has been with Children’s Health for so many firsts and through unprecedented growth. From 2001 to 2005, she co-chaired the wePromise Campaign for Children’s, which was the largest campaign for Children’s Health at the time, raising $160 million.  

The campaign funded key initiatives for growth on the Children’s Medical Center Dallas campus, which included the expansion of existing facilities; the recruitment of pediatric specialists; the creation of centers of excellence focused on multidisciplinary care; and the development of nationally respected clinical programs. Her dedication earned her the Distinguished Service to Children Award in recognition of her many contributions to the mission. 

Sandra and her late husband, Henry, have given to benefit various programs and initiatives at Children’s Health. In 2004, the Estesses funded the Sanctuary and Healing Garden in honor of their grandchildren. The garden is located adjacent to the Children’s Health courtyard on the Dallas campus.  

The couple also established the Sandra and Henry Estess Endowment for the Children’s Research Institute to help fund research projects for Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), which is leading the way in groundbreaking discoveries to transform medical outcomes for patients. Sandra said she finds cancer research especially meaningful because at the age of 13, one of her grandsons was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and was treated at Children’s Health.  

And her unwavering support continues, as she remains committed to supporting Children’s Health campus enhancements to meet the unique and wide-ranging needs of generations to come.  

As Children’s Health plans for an explosive growth in the pediatric population and rapidly evolving patient needs, Sandra said it is the community’s job to come together and support the patients and families who rely every day on this care and the team members who provide the latest interventions to care for children in need.   

“There is nothing like the generosity and the philanthropic intent of people in Dallas,” Sandra said. “While the need is great, so must be the effort to meet the need.”