Sierra Lykins

Children's Medical Center Foundation employee makes planned gift in honor of late father

A volunteer stint with Child Life as a college student was Sierra Lykins' introduction to Children’s Health℠. While volunteering in a playroom, she learned there were more facets to Child Life than she had imagined: as a child was playing, a music therapist entered to play the ukelele for them. She recalls the memory being “super special.” That experience of giving back through time and service motivated her to now work as a development officer of corporate partnerships for Children’s Medical Center Foundation, the fundraising arm for Children’s Health.

But the driving force behind Sierra’s decision to make a difference for kids who are experiencing illness and injury is because of her late dad, Thomas.

Thomas was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at just 4 years old. ALL is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood by producing too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

Before the diagnosis, Thomas was lethargic with no appetite. This prompted a visit with a local doctor who determined his spleen was enlarged and that he needed the attention of a specialist at a larger hospital – it was there he and his family were told he had cancer. After years of treatment throughout his childhood, including chemotherapy, Thomas went into remission.

He grew into adulthood, joined the army, married Sierra’s mom and began to raise Sierra as his own. He joined the Army and then served with the National Guard while also pursuing a career as a contractor.

One day in 2012, Thomas woke up with a sinus infection that wouldn’t go away. Doctors prescribed medication, but the infection lingered. Eventually, he was referred to UT Southwestern Medical Center for a MRI that found a tumor inside his ear canal that was later removed and came back benign.

Three years later, Thomas developed trouble swallowing and one side of his face felt paralyzed – something was wrong.

His local doctor referred him to UT Southwestern for another MRI that located a second tumor. This time, it was cancer. Thomas underwent intense radiation near his home in Decatur with the support and collaboration from his UT Southwestern care team.

In 2017, two more tumors were discovered. The UT Southwestern care team exhausted all options and resources for Thomas -- the cancer was growing.

That same year, Thomas passed away in his early thirties.

Giving back through her work

At Children’s Health, Sierra spends her days working with corporations to connect their mission with ours through employee engagement, fundraisers, sponsorships and giving back. The best part about her job: showing donors their impact.

“When I invite Walmart in for a tour of the hospital, it’s that moment where they get to see the connection between their customers rounding up at the register and what the money goes toward. All these services cost money. Being able to show them is great,” Sierra said.

She understands firsthand the impact of giving back and what it means for patients and their families during some of the most difficult times.

Since her dad died at age 34, having a will and life insurance beneficiaries is very important to Sierra.

“My dad had all that taken care of, and I saw how easy it was on my family for those things to already be done,” she said.

To honor her dad’s fight against cancer through childhood and adulthood, Sierra designated Children’s Medical Center Foundation as a beneficiary of her life insurance.

“It’s one of those things that I know he’d want me to do and that I’m able to do. Making a planned gift is (a), easy, and (b), it doesn’t hurt your pockets right now. It’s easy to make an impact down the road with a planned gift,” Sierra said.

Upon making an unrestricted legacy gift to Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Sierra joined many others in The Bradford Legacy Society — a group of committed philanthropists who embrace the mission of creating sustainability in Children’s Health through building a legacy. Sierra hopes her gift will inspire others to give.

“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? You may not have a trillion dollars now to give, and that’s okay. I want to inspire people to give whatever they have, whether that’s now or when they die,” she said.

Sierra values that Children’s Health is mission focused and seeks to provide the best care possible for patients now and for generations to come. Legacy gifts like Sierra’s supports our ability to adapt, explore, sustain and expand the many ways we fulfill our mission.

The benefit and impact of unrestricted giving cannot be overstated. The pediatric population in North Texas is almost 2.5 million and is expected to double by 2050. Health needs of children are continually growing and changing as are the environmental and social conditions in which we live that impact their health and well-being. These require the attention and action of Children’s Health and that’s where generous support plays a pivotal role year after year.

“It’s so easy to give to Children’s Health. Whether that is through a payroll deduction, leaving a planned gift or whatever it looks like for you. It takes such little effort to make such a big difference,” Sierra said.

Our team is here to help.

If you have any questions about adding Children’s Medical Center Foundation as a beneficiary to your cash or retirement accounts, donor-advised fund or even life insurance policy, please reach out to our Director, Legacy and Gift Planning, Kelsey Picken at Kelsey.Picken@childrens.com or 469-516-7024.

Tax ID Information

Legal Name: Children’s Medical Center Foundation
Address: 2777 N. Stemmons Fwy, Suite 1700, Dallas, TX 75207
Tax ID: 75-2062015