The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Celebrates a Successful Finish to its Hope Lives Here Fundraising Campaign

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced the close of the Hope Lives Here fundraising campaign with a reception to honor Children's Hospital's most dedicated supporters.

To celebrate the unbridled growth of Children's Hospital and the exemplary commitment of its philanthropic partners, Athena and Nicholas Karabots of Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania have graciously opened their home, Karamoor, to recognize the visionaries who helped lead the Hope Lives Here campaign to its successful completion.

The largest fundraising effort in the Hospital's 154-year history, the Hope Lives Here campaign raised $476.5 million over the course of seven years. Hope Lives Here exceeded its goal by $76.5 million at its conclusion on June 30, 2009.

"The success of the Hope Lives Here campaign is a testament to the generosity of our philanthropic partners who appreciate that our children are our most valuable resource," said Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., president and chief executive officer at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has the people, the passion, the vision and the strategic plan to realize a better future for the next generation of children. Through our collaboration with donors during the Hope Lives Here campaign, Children's Hospital is poised to transform pediatric healthcare for millions of children worldwide," added Dr. Altschuler.

Hope Lives Here comprised 218,440 donors-- 190,000 were new supporters to Children's Hospital. Nine contributions each totaled more than $10 million, and more than 100 donors gifted $500,000 and above. Some of the highlights include:

    --  Children's Hospital created 35 new endowed chairs to recruit and
        fund world-renowned physician-scientists to treat, cure and ultimately
        prevent childhood diseases such as autism, childhood cancer, and
        inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
    --  In the largest single gift of the campaign, Ruth M. and Tristram C.
        Colket, Jr. donated $25 million to build a state-of-the-art
        translational research facility in their names.
    --  In the largest corporate gift, State Farm Insurance donated $20 million
        to support teen driving research through the Center for Injury Research
        and Prevention at Children's Hospital.
    --  Athena and Nicholas Karabots gifted $15 million for a primary care
        center to be built in West Philadelphia, an underserved community.
    --  An anonymous donor gifted $10 million to support cutting-edge research
        that successfully restored sight to a group of children born with a
        rare, blinding retinal disorder.
    --  A leadership gift from Bill and Lynne Garbose supported the creation of
        the new Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, the world's first
        birth facility exclusively for mothers carrying babies with known birth
        defects.

    --  During the Hope Lives Here campaign, more than 650 community
        dance-a-thons, car washes, golf tournaments, costume balls and bake
        sales occurred with the sole purpose of raising money for kids at The
        Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is eternally grateful for the community's unwavering support which enables us to perform life-saving work while also meeting the emotional, psychological and sometimes financial needs of our families," said Jeffrey E. Perelman, Hope Lives Here co-chair and chair, Board of Trustees Institutional Advancement Committee.

"As our healthcare system continues to evolve, our commitment to children's health and their well-being is steadfast. Support from the community is vital to achieve our goals for the future," added Mr. Perelman.

Funds from Hope Lives Here are already making an impact. With the creation of 35 new endowed chairs, advances in research and clinical care have already occurred:

    --  Regional Autism Center Endowed Chair: With the arrival of Robert
        Schultz, Ph.D., the Center for Autism Research (CAR) was established in
        2008 to identify the causes of autism spectrum disorders and develop
        effective treatments. CAR has collectively published over 50 papers on
        autism, helping to lead the field forward in our pursuit of
        understanding all aspects of autism spectrum disorders. With more than
        50 full-time personnel and a dozen faculty, the Center has many new
        studies underway, financed from a variety of state, national and federal
        grants.
    --  Giulio D'Angio Endowed Chair in Neuroblastoma Research: This past
        year, Children's Hospital Cancer Center director John Maris, M.D.,
        and his team of researchers identified four genes that cause
        neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer of the nervous system that had baffled
        oncologists for more than 25 years.  One discovery translated into an
        immediate treatment for an aggressive form of neuroblastoma.  Taken
        together, researchers have also created a genetic test for the
        hereditary form of the disease.  These four discoveries are instrumental
        in working toward a cure for neuroblastoma and other forms of childhood
        cancer.
    --  Colman Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The
        director of the Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Robert
        Baldassano, M.D., has identified several genes responsible for causing
        the chronic illness which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative
        colitis.  The discoveries will inform treatment to target the disease
        with a cure on the horizon.
    --  Steven D. Handler Endowed Chair in Medical Ethics: As medicine has
        become more sophisticated, parents with very sick children are faced
        with challenging medical decisions, which have become more numerous and
        complicated over time.  Chris Feudtner, M.D. Ph.D., MPH, spearheads
        Children's Hospital's new medical ethics consultation service
        to support parents and clinicians as they confront these types of
        crucial decisions.  He is also leading the national discussion by
        advancing policies and knowledge about medical ethics through research.

    --  Oberkircher Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Radiology: Timothy
        Roberts, Ph.D., utilizes a cutting-edge diagnostic tool called
        magnetoencephalography (MEG) to advance autism research and epilepsy
        treatment. For autism, researchers are tracking language by measuring
        the brain's magnetic activity to understand how children with
        autism may process language differently from other children.  For
        epilepsy, MEG pinpoints the areas of the brain where abnormal epileptic
        electrical activity occurs.  Surgeons at Children's Hospital use
        MEG as a road map to precisely guide them toward areas of the brain to
        either remove or spare, ensuring the best outcome for each patient.

In addition, funds from the Hope Lives Here campaign assisted the Hospital's unprecedented 1.2 million square-foot facility expansion--the equivalent of 21 football fields-- which launched Children's Hospital's new South Campus. Hope Lives Here supported the creation of South Campus' first facility, the 450,000 square-foot Colket Translational Research Building.

In the Hospital's new West Tower, Hope Lives Here resulted in the new Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, the world's first birth facility exclusively for mothers carrying babies with known birth defects, the expansion of the Cardiac Center which now comprises three units and the Cardiac Operative and Imaging Complex, and the expansion of the Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit from 50 to 75 beds with semi-private patient care areas and state-of-the-art light simulation. In addition, the expansion in Radiology has improved the patient experience with the addition of new equipment that allows Children's Hospital to perform over 204,000 examinations annually.

As the ripple effect from the Hope Lives Here campaign impacts future growth and expansion, Children's Hospital will continue to fulfill its mission to improve patient care, advance research, educate our future healthcare leaders and advocate for the health and safety of children.