The Watson Family

Connie Watson was 14 years old when she underwent open heart surgery at Children’s Health in the late 1950s. At the time, the procedure had emerged as a novel surgical treatment to correct congenital cardiac defects.

Diagnosed as a child with pulmonary valve stenosis – a narrowing of the valve between the lower right heart chamber and the lung arteries that prevents normal blood flow – Connie’s condition had worsened by the time she became a teenager.

If she hadn’t had surgery to repair the valve, she could have died, she said.

Her pediatrician, Anthony L. Alfieri, M.D., who also was her uncle, was instrumental in getting her access to the best available care. He had a private practice, served as an instructor at Southwestern Medical College and also practiced at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Connie recalled Dr. Alfieri saying, “Why would you go somewhere else for care? You have the best hospital here.”

Her identical twin sister, Carolyn Sasser Roeder, remembers visiting Connie in the hospital during her two-week stay. The surgery was successful, and after a few years of annual follow-up appointments, Connie never required additional surgeries.

While in high school, the sisters volunteered together at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, a place they had become familiar with just a few years earlier when Connie was a patient.

“We took care of the little children,” Carolyn said. “We read to them. We walked them. We fed them. We did whatever the hospital staff needed us to do.”

Now 79 years old, Connie and her husband, Allan, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary earlier this year. What was then an innovative surgery, gifted Connie decades of memories, allowing her and Allan to build homes across Texas and in Washington, D.C., before settling back in Dallas.

“Connie has always remembered what they did for her; she’ll never forget that experience,” Allan said. “So, we started asking what we could give back with what we had.” 

More than six decades since her life-changing surgery, Connie and Allan are investing in the development of physicians to continue to bring transformative care to patients now and for generations to come at Children’s Health.

The couple established  the Connie and Allan Watson Master Physician in Pediatric Cardiology through a bequest gift. The endowment will be used to attract, recruit and retain highly qualified physicians and provide them with additional resources to pursue professional development and research.

This endowment will elevate the way physicians are able to care for children with pediatric heart conditions, said Nicolas Madsen, M.D., Co-Director of The Heart Center and Chief of Cardiology at Children’s Health℠.

“Such investments will keep the Heart Center at Children’s Health central to leading-edge discoveries and care. Families in the Dallas area will continue to have access to the latest treatments with the best physicians, and children everywhere will benefit from the work that happens here for years to come,” said Madsen, who is also a Professor of Cardiology at UT Southwestern. “These are incredible investments in the Heart Center and in our ability to make life better for children.” 

The Watsons’ bequest inspired Carolyn to establish a master physician endowment of her own, the Carolyn Sasser Master Physician in Pediatric Cardiology.

“This will be another drop in the pond with some ripples. Hopefully, there will be a lot of other people who are able to do something similar,” Allan said.

These ripples will benefit future children in North Texas who will experience leading-edge patient care on a new pediatric campus in Dallas – a joint investment with UT Southwestern Medical Center to strengthen our ability to provide comprehensive care for the youngest members of our community.

The new Dallas campus will accommodate emerging technology, allow for deeper collaboration, enhance patient care amenities and create a better working environment to recruit and retain the nation’s best researchers, physicians, nurses and staff.

“We want to do our part in thanking Children’s Health for what they did for Connie back in 1959,” Allan said.

Endowments at Children’s Health

Endowed funds set Children’s Health up for future success. We are fortunate to hold approximately 250 named endowments established and supported by generous friends who chose to invest in the long-term growth and needs of our institution.

Many of these investments fund research, which will help launch and advance important work that will transform the pediatric medicine landscape. These gifts also help fund the general charitable purposes of Children’s Health that help us respond to current needs.   

 Additional funds that support, for example, clinical programs, patient family support services and education ensure resources are available to support the ways we make life better for children each year. These permanent investments reflect incredible confidence in the long-lasting impact that Children’s Health will have on generations of kids and families today and tomorrow. 

This impact is made possible by our supporters whose legacies will grow over time, along with the legacy of Children’s Health.