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WINTER 2011 | FOR SUPPORTERS OF CHILDREN’S MERCY HOSPITALS AND CLINICS
A Walking Miracle
The New "House Call"
Children's Mercy Heads East
Care Assistant William Rittman is ready to take Joplin tornado survivor
Stephen Weersing to the front door as Stephen leaves the hospital after a
three-month stay. Children's Mercy staff call Stephen "a walking miracle."
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, center, talks with Bridgette Jones, MD, left, and
Amanda Riffel, research assistant, during her visit to Children’s Mercy in May.
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Center for
Environmental Health
W
hen 11-year-old Ashley was referred to the Environmental Health Clinic
at Children’s Mercy this spring, the staff was not accustomed to hearing
about what was believed to be the cause of her health issues: Agent Orange.
Doctors and nurses here regularly help children and their
families who are suffering from exposure to lead, ragweed,
mercury, mold and dust – things commonly found in and
around homes. But Agent Orange? The poison sprayed by
the ton half a world away during the Vietnam War?
Could it be?
Unfortunately, yes. Ashley’s dad was a Vietnam veteran and
showed many signs of exposure to the deadly dioxin before
he died at the age of 60. A year later, one of Ashley’s
brother’s died and, though the cause remains unknown,
her mom was told it was related to Agent Orange and
Ashley should be tested.
At the Environmental Health Clinic, Dr. Jennifer Lowry went
to work. She explained there were no “tests” to determine
if Ashley (her name has been changed to protect her
privacy) suffered from Agent Orange exposure since it was
her dad, not her, who was directly affected. And even if her
father had passed something along genetically, it was now
part of Ashley’s DNA and there was nothing they could do.
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As she probed, Dr. Lowry learned there could be many
things contributing to the chronic skin problems that
affect Ashley year round. Her home is in poor condition:
cockroaches, mice and rats are seen on a weekly basis.
It is sprayed regularly for termites and other pests. Her
mother smokes inside the home. It’s especially hot in the
summertime and the windows are kept closed.
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Ashley doesn’t go outside much. The neighborhood is not
healthy, either. Next door is a “farm” infested with flies
and other pests. The animals and fields there are not
maintained. A creek serves as a dumping ground. Odors
are unbearable.
So while Dr. Lowry was able to recommend some
treatments for Ashley – including antihistamines and
antibiotics for skin infections – there are some things out
of the hands of traditional medicine: Ashley needs a safer
environment. Her home and her neighborhood need to be
cleaned up.
This is where the Center for Environmental Health comes
in. This is more than just a visit to the doctor’s office.
Jennifer Lowry, MD, heads the Center for Environmental Health’s innovative new
Environmental Health Clinic.
Innovative Center launches at Children’s Mercy
In May, Lisa Jackson, the Administrator of the federal
Environmental Protection Agency, visited Children’s Mercy
to help launch the Center for Environmental Health. As
the mother of a child with asthma, Jackson said she was
especially gratified to help kick off a program that will help
children lead healthy productive lives.
“On behalf of everyone at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, I wish to thank you once more for the
recent privilege of joining you to launch the new, innovative
environmental health center at Children’s Mercy,” Jackson
said in a letter to Jay Portnoy, MD, chief of Allergy and
Immunology at Children’s Mercy. “I was very impressed
with all you and your colleagues are doing to help children
with environmentally-triggered illnesses.”
“
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Treating children with medicine is just a
bandage. Treating the environment is much
better than throwing medicine at them.”
Dr. Portnoy
“
The Center for Environmental Health includes the new
Environmental Health Clinic headed by Dr. Lowry, laboratory
research efforts headed by Christine Ciaccio, MD, and
home and school environmental assessment teams led by
Kevin Kennedy, managing director of the center.
“Treating children with medicine is just a bandage,” says
Dr. Portnoy. “Treating the environment is much better than
throwing medicine at them.”
“We want to make a home assessment an orderable test,
just like an X-ray, just like asking for a consult from a
specialist.
What makes the Children’s Mercy program unique is how
it combines the environmental assessment, the clinic and
the research into a single package aimed at improving
health. While other cities and hospitals offer similar
programs, those at the Center for Environmental Health
believe no one else is doing it on the comprehensive scale
of Children’s Mercy.
“This is a new kind of house call.”
“No one is taking care of the environment as a routine part
of medical care,” Dr. Portnoy says. “That’s what we aim to
do.
Home assessments
Ryan Allenbrand has seen his share of dingy basements,
mold-crusted bathtubs and flaking lead-painted handrails.
He’s also seen the children and adults who suffer from it.
“I feel real bad for them,” Allenbrand said one morning in
August while doing an assessment in the basement of a
of a rental home in Kansas City, Kan. where a 7-year-old
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2009 | 3
Need Caption??????????????
“We’ve been fortunate that some local retailers have been
making some donations,” Kennedy said. “The needs are
so great.”
At the KCK home where Allenbrand and his colleague
Tanisha Webb, environmental health coordinator, worked
in August, safety issues were discovered and discussed
along with the health hazards that may have been cause
the asthma symptoms to flare. Webb spends hours talking
to the parents about what they can do to make their
homes safer and healthier. The parents are grateful – and
sometimes a bit overwhelmed -- for the information.
This petri dish shows the type of fungi found in the air inside a typical home,
collected by the Healthy Home program team. By identifying the particular
fungi colonies, the center's scientists are able to make connections between
the air we breathe andGranton
asthma.stands tall in his new cowboy boots.
with asthma was living. “A lot of people just don’t know:
what’s a furnace supposed to look like?”
For each home assessment, the Children’s Mercy team
drafts a report that includes an action plan that tells
families what looks healthy and what needs action to
make their home the healthiest it can be. The report will
cover dozens of pages and include photos and comments
on the need for electrical outlet covers, carbon monoxide
detectors, exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath and fire
extinguishers. Most times, Children’s Mercy can provide
those items. Other times, they direct the parents or
homeowners to other community resources that may be
able to help.
“Occasionally, we run into landlords who aren’t too happy,”
Allenbrand said. “But we don’t have many problems. Some
Allenbrand, Healthy Homes Program coordinator for
Children’s Mercy, spends his days with a variety of tools
testing indoor and outdoor air quality. The gadgets flash
and beep and let him know how much moisture is in the
air, as well as how much mold, dust and other particles
are being breathed in. The samples he collects are taken
to Children’s Mercy Hospital and turned over to the lab
for testing.
Kennedy, the center’s managing director, said there has
been some form of home environmental assessment
offered by Children’s Mercy since the mid-1990s.
Since the early 2000s, the work has been part of the
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
Healthy Homes program. Through this grant support, the
Children’s Mercy Healthy Homes Program has helped get
repairs done in about 140 homes and has distributed
kits of cleaning materials (including vacuums, furnace
filters, cleaning supplies, etc.) to another 165 homes.
4 | childrensmercy.org
Christine Ciaccio, MD, right, who heads the center’s laboratory research
efforts, works in the lab with Allergy Fellow Tara Federly, MD.
In addition to the home assessments, Children’s Mercy
is also working with local school districts to make their
buildings safe and healthy for students and staff.
Kennedy and his staff are also helping train people from
across the country in these programs.
Into the laboratories
As Kennedy and his assessors visited scores of homes and
schools around Kansas City, they have taken thousands
of pictures, sucked millions of airborne particles onto
laboratory slides, and collected reams of other data.
The information collected in homes has been a valuable
part of research on home environmental health but much
more could be completed and published with a more
formalized research program were established. That’s
about to happen.
A key part of the new Center for Environmental Health
is the research component headed by Dr. Ciaccio.
Surrounded by test tubes and pipettes, Dr. Ciaccio and her
colleagues grow muck and mold in hopes of figuring out
how to help kids from getting sick by what’s all
around them.
“We have two major goals for our research,” says Dr.
Ciaccio. “The first is to better define what a healthy indoor
environment is. The second is, how can we manipulate the
environment to improve health?”
The researchers are looking at both indoor and outdoor
environments.
Children’s Mercy provides the daily mold and pollen count
for the metro area. Each morning, a slide from the top
of one of the buildings on Hospital Hill is removed from
a machine that pulls in air over the course of the day.
Scientists, like Charles Barnes, PhD, director of Allergy
Research, put the slide underneath a microscope and
count the pollen spores and other particles to let allergy
and asthma sufferers throughout the area know what kind
of a day they’re going to have if they venture outdoors.
Working in collaboration with the University of Kansas, Dr.
Ciaccio is working toward following mothers during their
pregnancy and for the first few years of their children’s’
lives to gauge environmental impact. In addition, she is
currently studying the combined effects of tobacco smoke
and indoor allergen exposure on the immune system.
Each home is its own unique environment, a combination
of building materials, furnishing, cleaning and cooking
supplies, and the environmental soup of microbes and
“
We have two major
goals for our
research,” says Dr.
Ciaccio. “The first is
to better define what
a healthy indoor
environment is.
The second is, how
can we manipulate
the environment to
improve health?”
Dr. Ciaccio
“
of these are code violations and they have to be taken
care of.”
treasures winter 2011 | 5
chemicals that build up over time. Thanks to the healthy
homes program, Children’s Mercy has started an incredible
database that can be mined to help answer the big
questions: what is a healthy indoor environment and our
are interventions helping?
“Do these improvements improve the children’s health?
We think they do. This will help prove it,” Dr. Ciaccio says.
Each home is its own unique environment, a combination
of building materials, furnishing, cleaning and cooking
supplies, and the environmental soup of microbes and
chemicals that build up over time. Thanks to the healthy
homes program, Children’s Mercy has started an incredible
database that can be mined to help answer the big
question: what is a healthy indoor environment?
It’s work that will take years, but that should help
generations of children and adults breathe easier, literally
and figuratively.
Back in the clinic
Dr. Lowry helped establish the Mid-America Pediatric
Environmental Health Specialty Unit as part of the federal
EPA. The goal was to provide education and consultation
for medical professionals, public health professionals and
others about children’s environmental health. In 2008,
Children’s Mercy became administrator of the grant and Dr.
Lowry is the primary investigator.
introducing more potential toxins every time we introduce
new “stuff.”
“This is not a political issue,” Dr. Lowry says. “This is a
public health issue. We want to be able to help people
be healthier by having less exposure to the bad stuff. This
is why we need to do research to know what the health
effects are.”
Dr. Lowry said she regularly sees children who have been
harmed by chemicals in many people’s homes: cleaning
products, pesticides, gasoline, batteries. And progress
can be slow: soil along highways is still contaminated with
lead from car exhaust even though lead was removed from
gasoline 30 years ago.
But that is no reason to give up. In fact, Dr. Lowry reports
that when she reported the poor living condition of the
children with suspected Agent Orange exposure, the city of
Kansas City, Kan., stepped in. They’re actually cleaning up
the creek and trying to stop the dumping.
The little victories are important. We’re making progress:
one child at a time.
Education is not enough, though. Community doctors
need help caring for their patients. Dr. Lowry said the new
Environmental Health Clinic is the response to requests
from pediatricians who were looking for a place to refer
children with symptoms of environmental exposure.
“We like our stuff,” Dr. Lowry said. “But some of our stuff –
like the plastics we’re putting in the microwave – is making
us sick. Some stuff, both manmade and natural, is harmful
to us and we need to do something about it.”
Although the Center for Environmental Health and its
new clinic are an outgrowth of the allergy and asthma
department, more than just ragweed, cat dander and mold
are the culprits. Dr. Lowry says lead poisoning is still a big
concern, but of years of effort at the national and local
level, not nearly as much as it was before; the threat from
mercury poisoning remains about the same. But we’re
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Jay Portnoy, MD, shown here with allergy patient Dominick Roveto, is director of
the Center for Environmental Health, the first of its kind in the nation.
Funding needed to
continue ‘house call’
program
Most common
health-related
issues found in
home
As part of its work to help improve children’s health, the
Center for Environmental Health operates a Healthy Homes
program that includes thorough assessments of the houses
and yards of patients. The “Top 5” issues observed in
homes are:
1. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning).
Including, but not limited to: blocked or
disconnected air ducts; dirty, missing or illfitting filters; dirty furnaces; and poor or uneven
distribution of fresh air throughout the home.
2. Missing carbon monoxide detectors.
3. Lack of “ground fault circuit interrupters” (GFCI)
near water sources in bathrooms, kitchens and
washing machines. These help protect against
electrical shock.
4. Poor or missing exhaust fans from bathrooms. This
allows humidity to build up in the home, increasing
the potential for mold or bacteria to grow.
5. Carpeting that is in bad shape or that contains a
high level of materials that occupants of the home
may be allergic to.
When the Children’s Mercy home assessment teams
discover these kinds of issues, they help families develop
an action plan for improving the environment in the home.
Some actions are as simple as opening or unblocking
HVAC vents and vacuuming the home with a specially
filtered vacuum cleaner (which may be given to the
residents.) In some cases, homeowners are referred to
community-based programs that may help making needed
home improvements. All families are presented cleaning
materials and, as appropriate, simple safety items such as
fire extinguishers or electrical-outlet covers.
Kevin Kennedy, managing director of the Children’s
Mercy Center for Environmental Health, says there has
been some form of home environmental assessment
from Children’s Mercy since the mid-1990s. Since the
early 2000s, the work has been part of the federal
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Healthy Homes program. Through support from federal
grants, the Children’s Mercy Healthy Home Program
has helped get repairs done in about 140 homes and
have distributed to another 165 homes kits of cleaning
materials (including vacuums, furnace filters, cleaning
supplies, etc.)
Unfortunately, the HUD-funded part of the Healthy
Home Program is coming to an end this December.
“We are hoping to get new financial support through
special partnerships between Children’s Mercy and
local businesses and organizations to keep the program
going. We’ve been fortunate that some local retailers
have either made donations or provided significant
discounts on home products to support the current
program,” Kennedy said. "The needs are so great.”
Teams from the Children’s Mercy Healthy Home Program explore every inch of
a home for possible environmental health hazards.
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Staff from Children's Mercy help unload furniture and supplies which the
hospital donated to a pediatric practice in Joplin which was completely
destroyed in the tornado.
Reaching Out to Help
JOPLIN
O
n the evening of Sunday,
May 22, Emergency
Department Physician Jennifer
Watts, MD, had reported to
work for her usual night shift.
Chief Nursing Officer Cheri Hunt, RN,
MHA, was enjoying a quiet evening at
home. Both their lives – and the lives of
many others – were upended with news
reports of severe tornados crashing
through Joplin, Mo.
Over the next 24 hours, the planned schedule for these
two Children’s Mercy staff members and many other
changed dramatically. As the devastation of the tornados
became apparent, so too was the knowledge that Kansas
City would be called upon to help.
Two hours after the tornado hit Joplin, Children’s Mercy
called a Code White (disaster code), and Hunt reported
to the hospital as Incident Commander. She and many
others worked all night to set up a command center and to
prepare the Emergency Department, the Operating Rooms,
and the Pediatric ICU for an influx of badly-injured children.
“Because the weather continued to be severe throughout
that Sunday night, we didn’t receive as many patients
initially as we had expected,” Hunt says. “Other hospitals
closer to Joplin were able to take some of the patients, but
on Monday we began receiving the pediatric patients who
were the most critically injured.”
Within the first 48 hours, eight patients from Joplin had
arrived at Children’s Mercy. “A lot of them were separated
from the family members, and it was a challenge to identify
them properly in order to communicate
with their families in Joplin or at other
hospitals,” Hunt says. The hospital’s
Social Work department answered
hundreds of phone calls from family
members in Joplin who were desperately
trying to locate missing children.
Cheri Hunt, RN, MHA
“One of the little boys who came here
died, but our staff was able to keep him alive until his
father could get here to be with him,” Hunt says. “There
were so many heart-wrenching situations – some of our
clinicians with years of experience have cried when talking
about these patients.”
At the same time that Children’s Mercy had mobilized to
accept incoming patients, Dr. Watts recalls that “my shift in
the ER morphed into a three-day shift in a 24-bed ER 120
miles south of Kansas City.” Dr. Watts serves as a member
of the Missouri Disaster Medical Team and says, “We train
and prepare for these types of scenarios, but there is no
way to prepare for the emotional trauma.”
“From the moment we arrived in total darkness, we began
our jobs in the mobile ER,” she adds. “We were so busy
that I didn’t even see the majority of the damage in Joplin
for two days. But I didn’t need to; I heard about it, over and
over. What am I supposed to say to the man in shock who
walks in, holding two bags with all his worldly possessions
and asks me, “What do I do next?’”
“The people of Joplin are amazing – stronger in the face
of crisis than I have seen at any other disaster,” Dr. Watts
says. “Several, with serious injuries, waited days to seek
help so they wouldn’t ‘burden’ the system. We were
there for them to burden, but they were thinking of their
neighbors first.”
Early on the day after the tornados, Children’s Mercy
had also dispatched two critical care ambulances and
transport teams to Joplin. “We had gathered up lots of
extra supplies, equipment and medications for pediatric
patients,” says Angie Cunningham, RN, CCRN, Critical Care
Transport Nurse who arrived in the first ambulance.
“We checked in with Dr. Watts, who contacted Freeman
Hospital (the undamaged hospital in Joplin). They were
so swamped, they immediately said they would send
all of their pediatric patients to us,” Cunningham says.
“We ended up not receiving any
patients after all, but it was a real
compliment that Freeman knew we
would be able to handle it, working
out of our ambulance.” She says
the ambulances did end up driving to
Springfield to transport two patients
from there back to Children’s Mercy.
Amanda Drewes, PhD
Dr. Watts returned to Kansas City on Wednesday – just
about the same time that tornados were spotted heading
towards downtown Kansas City, where Children’s Mercy
Hospital is located. The tornado warning sirens sounded,
and patients, families and staff inside the hospital were
directed to take shelter in the hospital’s stairwells.
Amanda Drews, PhD, Child Psychologist in the hospital’s
Sections of Developmental/Behavioral Medicine and
Gastroenterology, was in her office and headed to the first
floor of the nearest stairwell along with her colleagues. In
the crowded area, she was approached by a familiar GI
Clinic nurse. One of the clinic’s patients was a girl from
Joplin who had lived through the tornado just days earlier.
The girl was crying hysterically and hyperventilating, “and
the nurse asked me to talk with her,” Dr. Drews says.
The girl was about 12 or 13, sitting on the floor with her
mother. I squatted down next to her and said, “I heard you
were in Joplin during the tornado – that must have been
scary." The girl nodded.
“I told her that this must sound a lot and feel a lot like that
day in Joplin did, but I also reminded her that this was a
different day, and that she was in a safe place,” Dr. Drews
says. “Although it might feel the same, it isn’t the same.”
She also did a “three-minute commando version” deep
breathing training, teaching the girl and her mother how
to control the hyperventilation. The girl calmed down, and
soon the all-clear was given to leave the stairwell.
Dr. Watts, on the right, with fellow
disaster team member Dr. Melissa Stein,
an urgent care physician from St. Louis.
Dr. Jennifer Watts from Children's
Mercy worked in this 24-bed mobile
emergency room for three days
following the Joplin tornado.
Two Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport teams took the hospital’s critical
care ambulances to Joplin the day following the tornado.
“This is just a small example of how our professionals can
make a significant difference for a child, just by being in
the right place at the right time,” says Michele Kilo, MD,
Chief of the Developmental and Behavioral section.
Children’s Mercy’s outreach to Joplin continued in the
weeks following the tornado. Pediatric Associates of
Southwest Missouri, a pediatric practice based on the
campus of St. John’s Medical Center in Joplin, was
completely destroyed in the tornado. A few weeks later,
those pediatricians had secured a temporary office space,
and Children’s Mercy and two pediatric practices in
Overland Park, Kan. (Pediatric Professional Association,
PA and Pediatric Partners, PA) joined together to donated
medical supplies, equipment, furniture, toys and an
assortment of pediatric items – enough to fill at 15-foot
truck and to help the Joplin practice re-open. Access
Records Management donated the truck to deliver the
much-needed supplies. A second truck, delivering artwork
and more toys and supplies, was sent two weeks later.
“Children’s Mercy has always been there for us, and we
appreciate everything they have done,” says Fred Wheeler,
DO, of Pediatric Associates of Southwest Missouri. His
partner, Shari Smith, DO, told the staff who delivered the
items “You don’t even know what you have done for us.”
treasures winter 2011 | 9
Kimberly Gandy, MD, left, cardiovascular
surgeon, was one of the many physicians,
nurses and staff who cared for Steven
Weersing during his three-month stay at
Children’s Mercy.
A Tale of Survival
for Two Patients
S
teven Weersing remembers
riding in a truck with three
of his friends in Joplin on
May 22 when it started
raining very hard and the
wind started blowing. He remembers
the truck spinning, and being hit by a
bus. He remembers being thrown from
the car, and being put in the truck by
his friends and being driven to the
hospital.
More than three weeks later, he woke up at Children’s
Mercy Hospital.
Steven had sustained extensive injuries, including his chest
being ripped open. Health care providers said they could
see his lungs and see his heart beating through the huge
hole in his chest. He also sustained a head injury and
multiple broken bones.
“He was literally at death’s door when we first saw him,”
says Kimberly Gandy, MD, cardiac surgeon at Children’s
Mercy and associate professor of surgery at the UMKC
School of Medicine.
But then things got worse. Since Steven had been on the
ground with such a large, open wound, a rare, invasive
10 | childrensmercy.org
fungal infection known as zygomycosis had gotten inside
his body. “The fungus was eating away his chest wall and
eating his lungs,” says Dr. Gandy. Although statistically,
those type of injuries combined with the deadly fungus
would have perhaps a 5-10 percent survival rate, she says,
“We never assumed that, and our team was committed
to doing everything we could to save him. We fought very
hard.
“And then we saw how hard his body was fighting, how hard
his body was trying to heal.”
Steven spent three months at Children’s Mercy and was
cared for by a large multidisciplinary team including critical
Steven had his arm tattooed just two
weeks before the tornado; when his father
first arrived at the hospital in Joplin after
Steven’s critical injuries, the tattoo was
the only way he could recognize his son.
care, plastic surgery, infectious diseases, rehabilitation and many more. He underwent numerous surgeries with Jon Rast,
MD, Plastic Surgery, who repaired Steven’s open chest wound. “He’s my hero,” Steven says.
Steven was discharged from Children’s Mercy on Sept. 2 to return to Joplin for the first time since the tornado. “I’m
excited to be going home, but also a little bit scared because I’ll be so far away from this hospital,” he said. Steven is relearning to walk and will need physical and occupational therapy in Joplin, but Dr. Gandy says that he is expected to make
a full recovery.
“We’re all so unbelievably proud of Steven,” Dr. Gandy says. “He means a lot to us as a team – he’s an inspiration to
all of us.”
“I do feel lucky,” Steven says. “Some of my friends died in that tornado. I am a miracle. I guess there really is a God out
there. This has definitely made me pay more attention to my family. I really didn’t hang out with them that much, I didn’t
think they were that important, but now I realize they are my life.”
F
ourteen-year-old Lage Grigsby doesn’t remember anything about the
afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 2011.
Lage was fishing with his grandparents and cousins
before a trip to a Home Depot in Joplin, Mo. Lage doesn’t
remember sitting in the back seat of his grandfather’s truck
as the storm rolled in.
hooked up to all these machines, drains in his head and a
neck brace, I couldn’t recognize him,” Jessica said.
“I called my mom to tell her there was a storm heading her
way and for her to get the kids in the store,” says Jessica
Grigsby, Lage’s mom. “Immediately after that phone call,
my neighbor called to tell me the Home Depot was gone.”
Lage was soon transferred to Children’s Mercy Hospitals
and Clinics where Jessica spent every day and night by
her son. During Lage's five-week stay at Children's Mercy,
he underwent one more surgery on his brain and intensive
therapy to learn simple things that 14-year-olds take for
granted like walking, talking, and eating.
The EF-5 tornado that destroyed a majority of the Missouri
town threw the pick up truck across the parking lot. Lage
was thrown just outside the driver's side, which is where his
grandfather found him.
“I was there when he woke up, I was there when he could
sit up, I was there when he could move his arms and legs, I
was there when he said his first word again,” Jessica says.
“He has come so far in such a short amount of time.”
Lage was transported to Freeman Health System in Joplin.
Meanwhile the hospital was filling up quickly with many
others who were looking for family and friends.
"The fact that he's made this much gain later on is
encouraging and a little bit more exceptional," says
Thaddeus Wilson, MD, Rehab Services Education at
Children’s Mercy.
“They brought me out a piece of paper that had 12-yearold boy scribbled on it, and a tennis shoe,” Jessica says.
“That shoe was how I knew it was Lage.”
Lage underwent a six-hour surgery. “I wasn’t allowed to see
him, I was pacing back and forth,” Jessica says. “I didn’t
know how serious it was or what his condition was.”
Lage had a very serious head injury -- a fractured and
exposed skull. “I saw the tube down his throat, he was
Dr. Wilson says Lage’s young age is a benefit for his
rehabilitation. “Kids are curious, they're energetic. Their
brain is more plastic, it's not as solidified. They have
enthusiasm,” Dr. Wilson says. "To see the family handle this
situation as well as they have and to continue to encourage
Lage -- it's like a miracle every day to see how people are
able to move forward.”
“We have really been given a miracle,” says Jessica.
treasures winter 2011 | 11
Our Fairy Tale’s Next Chapter:
An Update on the Healthier Ever After Campaign
Children’s Mercy Heads East
Ground Broken for New
Children’s Mercy East Center
in Independence
Former U.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit”
Bond joined other elected officials,
community leaders and supporters
of the Healthier Ever After campaign
when they broke ground for the
building of the new Children’s Mercy
East location in Independence, Mo.
on June 23. The new specialty center
is scheduled to open in 2013.
Sen. Bond was the keynote speaker
for the event, which drew more
than 150 friends and supporters,
including Independence Mayor Don
Reimel, Blue Springs Mayor Carson
Ross and Jackson County Executive
Mike Sanders, who spoke about his
own child’s experience at Children’s
Mercy. The program was hosted by
Ken and Cindy McClain, co-chairs of
the Children’s Mercy East fund-raising
committee.
Children’s Mercy East will be located
in the Trinity Woods Business Park
at the southeast corner of I-70 and
Little Blue Parkway. Construction is
now underway on the three-story,
55,000-square-foot facility, which will
offer pediatric subspecialty outpatient
clinics during the day, after-hours
urgent care in the Edward G. and
Kathryn E. Mader Urgent Care Center
and radiology and laboratory services.
Children’s Mercy has received a challenge grant from the J.E.
and L.E. Mabee Foundation to support the cost of building
Children’s Mercy East, and we need your help to meet the
challenge! The Mabee Foundation will donate $1 million to the
hospital if we can raise an additional $5.5 million for Children’s
Mercy East before April 13, 2012. For more information about
how to donate to the challenge, go to www.childrensmercy.org/
HealthierEverAfter.
8 | childrensmercy.org
Red Hot Night Sets New
Record for Children
The Healthier Ever After campaign
indeed had a “red hot” night when the
Hands & Hearts auxiliary surpassed
its $1 million goal at “Red Hot
Night” on Feb. 12, 2011. More than
1400 friends from throughout the
community attended the hospital’s
signature benefit event this year.
Honorary chairs for the gala were
Kevin Barth and Terry and Zulema
Bassham. Event co-chairs were
Diane and Eric Dercher and Monique
Exposito and Steve Gill. KCP&L
was this year’s lead sponsor for
“Red Hot Night,” with major support
also provided by sponsored Burns
and McDonnell Foundation, Cereal
Food Processors, Commerce Bank,
Massman Construction and Toyota.
Honorary and working chairs included, from left, Terry and
Zulema Bassham, Kevin Barth, Jenny Murphy, Monique
Exposito, Steve Gill, and Diane and Eric Dercher
Hands & Hearts Auxiliary members, from left, Jamie Berg,
Zulema Bassham, Kathleen Nemechek, Diane Dercher and
Heather Wong
The evening was filled with fine dining,
unique auction items, dancing and
fun. But partygoers were reminded of
the purpose for the evening thanks to
inspiring remarks from Patrick Gratton,
who shared his story as a former
Children’s Mercy patient.
Thanks to all of the generous friends
who attended this year’s Red Hot
Night gala – your support of Healthier
Ever After will help make fairy tales
come true for our kids. And mark
your calendars now for Red Hot Night
2012, coming next Feb. 11 at the
Kansas City Convention Center. (See
back cover for more details!)
Former honorary chair Deanna Graves and
Hands & Hearts Auxiliary Past President
Melissa Wood
treasures winter 2010 | 9
At the poker tournament Saturday
afternoon, all of the players at the
final table donated a portion of their
cash winnings to Children’s Mercy,
including third place finisher Jason
Spalitto, who donated 100 percent of
his $7,700 winnings to the hospital.
Big Slick Weekend:
Big Fun, Big Funds!
Kansas City natives Paul Rudd and
Rob Riggle returned home in June
to host two days of celebrity-packed
fun, and raised more than $200,000
for the Healthier Ever After campaign
while they were at it. The second
annual Big Slick weekend included a
celebrity wiffle ball game at Kauffman
Stadium on Friday, June 24, followed
by a visit to the hospital, the celebrity
poker tournament, a VIP sponsor
party and the Big Slick Party and
Live Auction the following day. (The
third host, Kansas City native Jason
Sudeikis, was tied up with filming and
unable to attend, but sent a video
greeting to the crowd.)
More than 20 celebrity guests
attended this year’s event, including
other famous Missourians Jon Hamm
(“Mad Men”), a St. Louis native,
and David Koechner (“Anchorman”),
who grew up in Tipton, Mo. Local
celebrities George Brett, Matt Cassel
and others joined in the wiffle ball
game Friday night.
But perhaps the most touching
moment of the entire weekend
occurred Saturday morning, when
Paul, Rob and John Oliver (“The
Daily Show”) visited the patients
at Children’s Mercy. A 20-year-old
Big Slick host Paul Rudd enjoyed playing games with
patients at the hospital.
Big Slick celebrities who visited the hospital
to spend time with our patients included Paul
Rudd, Rob Riggle and John Oliver.
patient was too sick to come to the
playroom, so Paul made a special trip
to visit him in his room. When Paul
learned that the patient’s favorite TV
show was the cartoon “Superjail,” he
arranged for the show’s star, David
Wain, a friend of his, to place a phone
call to the very surprised young man
later that afternoon. Sometimes the
best things really do happen behind
the scenes!
Poker tournament second place finisher
Michael Blumenthal, left, and winner
Brian White, second from right, pose
with Rob Riggle and Paul Rudd.
Children’s Mercy Now on Broadway
The new Children’s Mercy Clinics on Broadway
building, that is. In early May, the hospital’s
Pediatric Care Clinic (PCC) and Teen Clinic moved
into spacious new quarters in the newly-renovated
building at 31st and Broadway in Kansas City, Mo. The
move into the new location, which is only two miles away
from Children’s Mercy Hospital, provides a much-needed
expansion for these two clinics – plus providing newly-vacated space at the hospital for other clinics to
expand into.
The PCC is Children’s Mercy’s largest clinic, seeing more than 46,000 patients last year. The primary care clinic, which
is now divided into four colorful components (the Yellow, Purple, Green and Orange Clinics) nearly doubled the space
available to serve its patients and families. The Teen Clinic, designed for the unique needs of adolescent patients,
expanded by three exam rooms in its new location.
“Children’s Mercy continues to grow and grow, and we must continue to find ways to meet our community’s needs for our
services,” says Daryl Lynch, MD, Section Chief for Adolescent Medicine.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the move to Broadway will continue in 2012 as additional floors of the building are
renovated and additional clinics make their move to Broadway. Children’s Mercy Employees Support Healthier Ever After
“I give because I want Children’s Mercy to be here and be top-notch for my own kids … and their kids, and their kids.
Children’s Mercy is such a rich resource for our community and for the future generations of our community!”
“I’m very blessed to work for such an amazing hospital, and it warms my heart to be able to give back to something that I
so strongly believe in.”
“I give because it’s important that others who give to Children’s Mercy see that those of us who are employed here are just
as dedicated to seeing it grow and prosper as they are.”
“Our contributions to the Healthier Ever After campaign affirm our belief in each other’s commitment and capabilities, and
in the mission to which we are all called to serve.”
Those are just a few of the reasons that Children’s Mercy physicians, nurses and other staff members give for their
donations to the Healthier Ever After campaign. Since June, 2010, our staff has made gifts and pledges totaling more than
$1.6 million to support this campaign. More than 1,000 staff members participated in this year’s week-long campaign,
held in June.
As one employee expressed:
“I give to the Healthier Ever After fund for a very simple
reason. As I walk the halls of Children’s Mercy and look at
the precious faces here, I am reminded every day of how
many children need us. I want to be there for them and
help them with the best possible chance for a Happier Ever
After!”
A Special Gift
from a Former Patient
When Cindy Fortney was a baby, doctors told her parents that she had been
born without hip sockets. But that diagnosis certainly doesn’t match the woman
you see today, who has water skiied and is now a member of the Mid-County
Fire Protection District’s volunteer fire department in central Camden County,
Mo.
In the intervening years, Cindy underwent 13 different surgeries to correct a congenital hip disorder. Children’s Mercy
orthopaedic surgeons David Francisco, MD, and later Brad Olney, MD, current Section Chief for Orthopaedics, performed
the multiple surgeries over the years that today allow Cindy to enjoy an active life. In addition to her volunteer activities,
Cindy works as a security analysis consultant for Dell Services.
“In my younger years, my family received help from the Kansas Crippled Children’s Fund, and Dr. Francisco was a mentor
to me in so many ways beyond just medical care. He helped guide me in my career choices and so much more. I’ve always
wanted to be able to give something back because so many people helped me,” Cindy says.
So it was only fitting that the late Dr. Francisco’s wife, Jean, and his daughter, Kansas State Senator Marci Francisco, were
on hand along with Dr. Olney when Cindy returned to Children’s Mercy in July to present a check for $20,000 to benefit the
hospital’s Orthopaedic program.
“Everyone around me when I was growing up always treated me normally and told me that I could do anything I set out to
do and don’t let anything get in my way,” Cindy says. “I always knew that I could do what I wanted, even if I had limitations.
It should not stop someone; rather, reduce or find ways around your obstacles, but still follow your dreams and do the best
you can.”
Shown with the hospital's official portrait of the late W.
David Franciso, MD, are, from left, Brad Olney, MD; Cindy
Fortney; Dr. Francisco's widow, Jean Francisco; and their
daughter, Kansas State Sen. Marci Francisco
After a few years, the travel bug bit him again and he spent
a year-and-a-half traveling around the world. Among his
favorite places was New Zealand because the people there
were so friendly. He spent lambing season on a sheep farm
with a guy he met in Tahiti, and when the adjoining estate
came up for sale, they put a bid on it.
“We came within $1,500 American,” said Don. “If we’d
gotten it, I might still be there!”
What made the biggest impression on him, though, was
visiting impoverished countries such as Burma and India.
World Traveler
Makes Big Impact at
Home
Don Kahan spent much of his early
life going places. The rest of his life
has been spent helping others go
places.
During his college years, Don took time off from Tulane to
travel abroad, riding a BSA motorcycle around Europe and
staying in youth hostels. He was overseas when the Korean
War broke out in 1950 and was drafted shortly afterward.
After serving his country as a paratrooper in the 82nd
Airborne Division, Don went back to college and finished
his degree at UCLA. Then he went to work for Feld
Chevrolet in Kansas City, Kansas, where he learned the
transportation business from the ground up.
“The dealer handed me a mop and said good luck,”
Don recalls with a chuckle. “I think that is the best thing
anybody can do for kids if they’re in the business is to start
them out that way. It was a matter of snooping around,
looking over everybody’s shoulder and trying to learn as
much as you can.”
In addition to understanding automotive sales and service,
Don’s association with the Feld family also expanded his
knowledge about philanthropy and eventually led him to
serve on the boards of their various charitable trusts. Those
trusts have generously supported Children’s Mercy over the
years, along with many other area charities.
“After you saw the poverty there and the terrible, terrible
conditions,” says Don, “you can never feel sorry for yourself
again.”
Don settled in Lee’s Summit in 1965, taking over a
dealership after the previous owner died. By helping others
go places, he built Don Kahan Chevrolet into a successful
and respected dealership over the next 45 years.
During General Motors’ recent financial difficulties, Kahan
and the company parted ways when GM did not renew
thousands of dealer franchises nationwide. Now he’s
focusing on a new way to help people get where they want
to go—electric cars and trucks. Don Kahan Motors at 505
NW Blue Parkway will be the first all-electric car dealership
in the Kansas City area as soon as the inventory is
delivered. A second store will be located at 79th & Metcalf
in Overland Park.
This cutting edge business isn’t the only way that Don is
looking to the future. He has included Children’s Mercy in
his estate plans. You might say that he’s helping sick kids
get where they want to go, just in a different way.
“Children’s Mercy has been a top rung charity forever,”
says Don. “The work they do is terrific. I think everyone
should support Children’s Mercy Hospital.”
Whether it’s volunteering for nonprofit and civic
organizations, serving on foundation boards or his own
personal giving, the logic behind his philanthropy is
straightforward.
“You make your living from the community, so there’s got
to be give-back,” says Don. “You receive. You give back. It’s
pretty simple.”
treasures winter 2011 | 17
CHILDREN'S MERCY NEWS |
Children's Mercy Establishes Heart
Transplant Program
O'Donnell Family Endows Chair to
Support New Service
For a number of years, Children’s Mercy has provided a
wide range of care for neonatal, pediatric and adolescent
cardiac patients, including care for heart failure patients
before and after surgery. And now the full spectrum of care
is being completed, with the establishment of our new
Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplantation Program.
A major step in accomplishing this goal was provided by
hospital president and CEO Randall L. O’Donnell, PhD and
his family, who made a $1 million donation to create the
Melva and Randall O’Donnell Family Endowed Chair in
Pediatric Cardiology. This endowed chair will assist in the
recruitment of an outstanding cardiology leader who will
complete the development of this important program for
our region’s children with heart failure.
Kimberly Gandy, MD, has been hired as the transplant
surgeon for this new program, and the hospital anticipates
performing its first pediatric heart transplant within the next
year to 18 months. Once launched, Children’s Mercy will
be the only hospital in the region outside of St. Louis to
perform pediatric heart transplants.
Melva and Randall L. O’Donnell, PhD
“The opportunity to pursue certification of a heart
transplantation program raises the bar once again, and is
a testimony to the talent and expertise Children’s Mercy is
now able to offer,” says Dr. O’Donnell.
New Board Members
Three new members have been added to the Children’s Mercy Hospital Board of Directors in 2011:
Debbie Sosland-Edelman, Executive Director for the Sosland Foundation, has previously served on the hospital’s
Central Governing Board. For the past five years, she served as chair of the Children’s Mercy Hospital Board of
Advocates.
Jon Baum is Director of Investment Banking at George K. Baum Advisors, LLC. He and his wife Sarah are co-chairing
the hospital’s Healthier Ever After comprehensive campaign. He and Sosland-Edelman will serve a three-year term on
the Board and replace retiring Board members Charles Schellhorn and Jim Nutter, Jr.
Milt Fowler, MD, Section Chief and Medical Director of the Children’s Mercy South Urgent Care Center and Associate
Professor of Pediatrics at the UMKC School of Medicine, also joined the Board in 2011 as the newly-elected president
of the hospital’s medical staff. He will serve a two-year term and replaces previous medical staff president Douglas
Blowey, MD.
18 | childrensmercy.org
CHILDREN'S MERCY NEWS |
A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR CHILDREN’S MERCY
A new day dawned for Children’s Mercy on March 10,
2011, when Maddox Michael Hodges became the first
baby born in the Elizabeth J. Ferrell Fetal Health Center.
Maddox is the son of Kyle and Lindsay Hodges of Wichita,
Kan., and was born with a complex congenital heart defect.
Maddox’s defect was detected during pregnancy, leading
his parents and their physician to determine that the
delivery should take place at Children’s Mercy, where
prenatal services, delivery and pediatric subspecialty care
could all be expertly administered under one roof.
Maddox Hodges, the first baby born in the Fetal Health Center, with parents
Lindsay and Kyle Hodges in March.
“There aren’t words that can express the sense of relief
I felt to be in the same hospital with my newborn,” said
Lindsay Hodges. “The care we received at Children’s Mercy
was amazing, and I knew that if something were to go
wrong, we had the expertise we needed right here.”
By the end of September, more than 40 babies had been
born in the Ferrell Fetal Health Center, which is one of
only three such units located inside a pediatric hospital
in the U.S. The comprehensive program also includes a
perinatology clinic and an integrated specialty clinic for
mothers whose babies have been diagnosed prenatally
with serious birth defects, in addition to the delivery service
Six-month-old Maddox and his parents were all smiles during a clinic visit at
Children’s Mercy in September.
and the complete spectrum of neonatal and pediatric
subspecialty services needed by these newborns.
CHILDREN’S MERCY – AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!
Need some quick child health advice, or maybe directions on how to reach one of Children’s Mercy’s locations throughout
the city? There’s an app for that! Parents, physicians or anyone with a smartphone can now have Children’s Mercy
Hospitals and Clinics at their fingertips wherever they go. “CMH4YOU,” the new Children’s Mercy mobile application, is
now available free on iPhone, BlackBerry and Android platforms – just look for the Children’s Mercy logo with CMH4YOU
below it.
The new app offers quick access to first aid and child health information, plus hospital directions, contact information and
more. Download CMH4YOU to your smartphone today!
treasures winter 2011 | 19
CHILDREN'S MERCY NEWS |
10 Specialties, 10 Rankings – One Hospital!
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics was ranked among
“America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” in all 10 pediatric
specialties surveyed in the annual report from U.S. News
and World Report, including a top ten ranking for our
Nephrology program. This is the fourth year in a row that
Children’s Mercy has been included in the “Best Children’s
Hospitals” ranking, but the first year we have been ranked
in all 10 specialties:
Nephrology -- #10
Urology -- #21
Orthopedics -- #21
Gastroenterology -- #24
Cancer -- #32
Cardiology and Heart Surgery -- #36
Pulmonology -- #36
Neonatology -- #37
Diabetes and Endocrinology -- #39
Neurology and Neurosurgery -- #40
For the first time this year, U.S. News also ranked the “Best
Doctors” in the country, based on a survey of physicians
nationwide who nominated their peers who excel in their
specialty and who they felt were most worthy of referrals.
Children’s Mercy physicians on this inaugural list included
Uri Alon, MD, Pediatric Nephrology; Walter Andrews, MD,
Pediatric Surgeon; Kimberly Gandy, MD, Pediatric Heart
Surgeon; Sarah Hampl, MD, Weight Management; Maxine
Hetherington, MD, Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist; John
Lantos, MD, Director of the Center for Bioethics; Gary
Lofland, MD, Pediatric Heart Surgeon; Scott Olitsky, MD,
Pediatric Ophthalmologist; Michael Spaulding-Barclay, MD,
Adolescent Medicine; and Bradley Warady, MD, Pediatric
Nephrologist. Drs. Hetherington, Lantos, Olitsky and
Warady were rated in the top 1 percent nationwide for their
specialty areas.
“This is validation of what we and the children we
serve already know. Children’s Mercy is one of the best
children’s hospitals in the nation, providing high quality
care and cutting edge research across more than 40
subspecialties,” says Children’s Mercy President and CEO
Randall L. O’Donnell, PhD.
Stay informed of the tremendous accomplishments made possible by philanthropy at Children's Mercy Hospitals and
Clinics by registering to receive the Mercy Bear Bulletin, our bi-monthly e-newsletter.
Visit www.childrensmercy.org/subscribe to sign up!
20 | childrensmercy.org
CHILDREN'S MERCY NEWS |
Honors
Children’s Mercy people and programs continue to receive recognition for their outstanding work
at the local, state and national levels:
• Cheri Hunt, RN, MHA, NEA-BC, Vice President/
-Gary Pettett, MD, Neonatology, has been named
Chief Nursing Officer, will receive the 2011
president of the Missouri State Medical Association
Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of
for 2011-2012.
New Mexico College of Nursing at the university's
-Edward Christophersen, PhD,
homecoming dinner on Sept. 23. In selecting Hunt
Developmental and Behavioral
for the award, a College of Nursing representative
Sciences, has received the Lee Salk
said, "Her dedication and hard work is amazing and
Distinguished Service Award from the
truly deserving of this award. One of the members of the selection
The Society of Pediatric Psychology, Division 54 of
committee said that Cheri inspires her to be a better nurse!"
the American Psychological Association.
-Virender Singhal, MD, Plastic Surgery, was
• A new obesity prevention collaborative led by Children’s Mercy
chosen as one of 20 "Kindest Kansas
has been selected as one of only 10 Healthy Weight Collaborative
Citians" in an annual contest sponsored by the STOP
initiatives to participate in a new federally-funded program
Violence program. Dr. Singhal was nominated by one
sponsored by the National Institute for Health Care Quality. The
of his 11-year-old patients whose essay was selected
new collaborative, which includes Children’s Mercy Family Health
as one of the winners from more than 5,000 entries.
Partners, the YMCA, the KCMO Health Department and KC Healthy
-And 65 Children’s Mercy physicians were named to
Kids, will focus on taking obesity treatment and prevention programs
the
for children and adults beyond the clinician’s office and into the
“2011 Best Doctors” list, published by the Kansas
community.
City Business Journal in March.
-Scott Olitsky, MD, Section Chief of Ophthalmology,
• Barbara Haney, RN, the ECMO Coordinator in the NICU, and
was named as one of Kansas City's "Top Doctors" in
Darrell Stafford, Food Service, were among those selected as “2011
the September issue of Ingram's Magazine.
Heroes in Healthcare” by Ingram’s Magazine.
• Brenda Maloney, who has volunteered at
• Jamie Berg, who has provided
Children’s Mercy for almost 10 years, was honored as
volunteer support for the hospital in
2011’s Volunteer of the Year at the annual Volunteer
a variety of ways, was recognized by
Nonprofit Connect as one of this year’s
Recognition Luncheon in April. Spirit Halloween
Superstores was recognized as the business volunteer of the year.
“Rising Stars of Philanthropy.” Berg
has served as president of the Hands
• Michael Cromwell, a Laboratory Technician in the hospital’s
& Hearts auxiliary, is a past chair of
Cardiac Surgery Research Lab, was named the 2011 Employee
the Red Hot Night gala, and is also
of the Year at the annual Service Awards Dinner in March. Angie
a member of the Children’s Relief
Association and active volunteer in the hospital’s Gift and Snack
Knackstedt, RN-BC, BSN, Education, received this year’s Carol
Belt Advocacy Award, and Chris Sawyer, Physical Therapy, received
Shops. The “Rising Stars of Philanthropy” are recognized as the next
the William P. Harsh Scholarship Award. More than 700 medical staff
generation of volunteer leadership in Kansas City.
members and employees were honored for their years of service.
• A number of Children’s Mercy faculty members have been honored
in recent months:
-John Lantos, MD, Bioethics Center; Gregory Conners, MD,
Emergency Medicine, and Gerald Woods, MD, Hematology/
Oncology, were inducted into the prestigious American Pediatric
Society, and Maria Navarro Olmo, PhD, Neonatology
Research Lab, was one of the 2011 inductees into the Society
for Pediatric Research.
treasures winter 2011 | 21
KudosFall 2011
Thank you to Anesthesia Associates for making a gift of
$125,000 to the Healthier Ever After campaign in honor of
their dear colleague and friend, Mike Delaney. The group
also brought in over $40,000 in through personal donations
honoring Mike.
Thanks also to the Dreiseszun Family Foundation for
making a gift in support of the expansion of the Endocrine
Clinic to be located at Children’s Mercy on Broadway. In
2010, we saw the most patients we ever have. Thank you
for helping us to take care of the children who need the
clinic.
Photo to the left: From July 3-10, Kansas City hosted the
great voices of The Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2011
International Convention. Not only did the beautiful voices
of these amazing quartets fill the Sprint Center, but they filled
the hearts of the kids here at Children's Mercy Hospitals and
Clinics with a donation of 2,000 cuddly teddy bears.
Thank you to these families for helping to support the expansion of our
new inpatient 4th floor dedicated to the division of Hematology/Oncology.
The new patient rooms are designed for the next generation of cancer
treatment, and our future patients and their families are grateful for your
generosity:
Bret and Christi Wilson, Cancer Center Auxiliary board member, donated
$50,000 in loving memory of their daughter, Erin Andra.
Scott (Scott serves as Cancer Center Auxiliary Board President) and Vicki
Ferguson pledged $50,000.
Photo above: More than 135 Pizza Hut restaurants in Kansas and
Missouri, a call center, and offices located in Pittsburg, KS and Overland
Park, KS participated in a six-week fundraising promoting for Children’s
Mercy’s Healthier Ever After Campaign. Pizza Hut kicked off their fundraiser by donating 500 children’s books and delivered a check for
$62,341!
From left are: Sylvia Hernandez, Pam Seuferling, Brad Leech, Jim Schwartz
and Linda Sheedy
Photo to the left: The fourth annual Melissa’s Ride for Small Cell Cancer
featured more than 100 motorcycle riders that came out to show their love
and support for their friend Melissa who passed away in 2008. Melissa’s
Ride 2011 raised over $13,000 this year and has raised more than
$40,000 since 2008. These bikers with big hearts continue to help support
our Cancer Research at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.
Photo above: Black & Veatch and their Building a World of
Difference Foundation hosted their Annual Golf Tournament
on May 23 at Shadow Glen Golf Club. This year’s tournament
raised a record-breaking $300,000 for the expansion and
renovation of the Children’s Mercy Clinics on Broadway. For the
last 15 years Black & Veatch has generously donated nearly $2
million to Children’s Mercy and our most urgent needs.
Photo above: Children’s Mercy thanks Jane, Curt and Ali Cavanaugh, and the many
volunteers and supporters of the Jake Cavanaugh Foundation, for making a gift
of $10,000 to purchase new patient recliners and DVD players for the Hematology/
Oncology Clinic at Children’s Mercy’s main campus.
Stuey McBrew's Tavern was a finalist in the ESPN Greatest Sports
Sandwich contest with their creation of the “Bo Knows Big Burgers”
entry. For every vote cast in the ESPN national online poll they
donated 75 cents raising a total of $1,341.00 for the construction of
Children’s Mercy East.
In March Granite City Food & Brewery locations in Kansas and
Missouri held a two week long fundraiser for Children’s Mercy.
Patrons were offered discounts and deals based on the amount they
were willing to donate to the cause. A total of $4,838 was raised.
Photo above: On May 12, Dr. Robert and Carolyn Reich Weir
along with their son Tom and daughter-in-law, Eileen, hosted
an event at Blue Ridge Bank in Independence in support of our
new Children’s Mercy East facility. Dr. Weir, an ophthalmologist,
completed part of his residency and practiced at Children’s Mercy.
He and Carolyn are also grateful patients for the care that son
Tom received at Children's Mercy as a teenager. Bob, Carolyn,
Eileen and Tom all serve as members of our Children’s Mercy East
campaign committee!
Photo above: The Kansas City Children’s Assistance Network (KC CAN!)
held its third annual “Faith & Mercy” Drive in support of our Child Life Program.
Starting April 25, bins were placed across the Kansas City metro to collect toys,
art supplies, clothing and other items. On May 7, a wrap up party was held at the
Chartroose Caboose in Lenexa. The event secured an estimated $4,500 dollars
in donated items and a financial gift brought the total to nearly $8,500. Faith
and Mercy was conceived by Tiffany Roberts, KC CAN! executive board member,
in gratitude to the hospital for saving the life of her day-old daughter born with a
congenital heart defect.
Editor’s Note: Treasures is a publication for individuals who donate time or money to Children’s Mercy. Please forward
announcements, ideas for articles or other information in writing to Children’s Mercy, Resource Development, 2401 Gillham
Road, Kansas City, MO, 64108. Include your name, address and telephone number. The editor may alter submissions for
clarity, length and style. Children’s Mercy is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and a United Way agency. If you
would like to make a gift to the hospital or want more information, call Resource Development at (816) 346-1300.
Community Partner
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Save the Date: Red Hot Night 2012 Coming Feb. 11!
Mark your calendars now for Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, when you can don your fanciest red dress or red tie and party at
the Red Hot Night gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center. All the funds raised from this year’s
event, led by Honorary Chairs Ken and Cindy McClain and Event Chairs Andrew Teigen and Becky Krueger, will benefit
Children’s Mercy East. For information on sponsorships and tickets, go to www.childrensmercy.org/redhotnight. But
don’t wait too long – last year’s gala was a sell-out!
Chairing our 2012 Red Hot Night gala are,
from left Andrew Teigen and Becky Krueger,
event chairs; Cindy and Ken McClain,
honorary co-chairs, and Joe Gregg, Hands
& Hearts Auxiliary Board President