When you give

Lives are saved2010 Gratitude Report

every day, We are touched By

your generosit yas we reflect on 2010, we have much to be thankful for. thanks to our donors we granted $3.8 million in support of Children’s Hospital at London Health sciences Centre and Children’s Health research institute. our caregivers continued to provide extraordinary care as they began to move into exciting new space within the new Children’s Hospital. our researchers moved that much closer to finding better ways to treat and cure illnesses and diseases that affect our children the most.

At just one year old, Crosby Culliton was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. That day his family’s world changed and Children’s Hospital became like a second home.

Today things are very different. Crosby finished his chemotherapy treatments and he is doing great!

Thanks to donors like you, Children’s Hospital was there for Crosby and his family.

When you support Children’s Health Foundation, you help us buy specialized equipment made just for children, you fund programs that would not otherwise be possible like art therapy and ollie the Clown and you provide our researchers with the support they need to bring their findings to the bedside as quickly as possible. Most importantly, you raise hope for our patients and their families as they embark on health care journeys that are often difficult and heart wrenching.

2011 is a year of new beginnings and new hope. in september, we will celebrate (with you by our side) the opening of the new Children’s Hospital and in June, we will welcome the neonatal intensive Care unit from st. Joseph’s Health Care London. throughout the year, we will warmly welcome new patients and their families, new caregivers and researchers and new donors into our fold.

thank you for making this incredible milestone of a new Children’s Hospital a reality for our community and for the thousands of children and their families who rely on the specialized care and expertise at Children’s Hospital. We could not have done it without you.

this gratitude report is dedicated to you, our donors. it is filled with stories of hope, healing and life-saving miracles made possible because of your unfailing support. on behalf of all the children, families, caregivers, physicians and scientists, thank you.

every day, We are touched By

your generosit y

debbie ComuzziPresident and Ceo with Brittany taylor

Michael LernerChair, Board of directors

“ This new hospital is a true testament to the generosity of our donors and their belief in the hundreds of people who each and every day care for some of the most critically sick and injured children across southwestern and northern Ontario.”

Michael Lerner, Chair, Children’s Health Foundation

art therapy has proven to be a key factor in health care and treatment for children facing life threatening illness or injury, like childhood cancer or a brain tumour. trained therapists at Children’s Hospital help children express their thoughts through art – often easier than trying to put their feelings into words.

Child Life has become recognized internationally as an important program to relieve stress – a major factor during necessary medical procedures when dealing with a frightened child. through play and use of specially designed puppets, Child Life specialists help children (and sometimes their parents!) understand exactly what procedures are about to happen, before they happen.

thank you for supporting specialized care programs at Children’s Hospital and helping our children to heal with the best therapies possible.

The Art Therapy and Child Life programs at Children’s Hospital are exclusively funded by donor support.

sPeCiaLized PrograM

You Help Our Children Heal

When you Support a

Be it cancer treatments, surgery or follow up appointments, the health care journey for a critically sick or injured child can be terrifying and fraught with stress. emily Burtwistle knows just how difficult it can be. diagnosed with a brain tumour at age seven, it was the worst nightmare she or her parents could imagine. But with the help of two specialized programs at Children’s Hospital – Child Life and art therapy – emily was able to deal with the numerous surgeries she had to endure – even to the point of playing jokes on nurses!

sPeCiaLized PrograM

You Help Our Children Heal

“Child Life and Art Therapy were so important to Emily – and us – to help us through this journey. It’s not over yet, but now we have hope and confidence to keep moving forward.”

- Emily’s Dad, Jay

When tara schram’s first child, declan, was born with a bowel abnormality that required immediate surgery, he spent six months and twenty days as an inpatient at Children’s Hospital. despite multiple surgeries and specialized treatments he had liver failure, and in april of 2004 declan passed away.

“a nurse at Children’s Hospital introduced me to Children’s Health Foundation and told our family about the great things the Foundation does for the hospital,” says tara. “she pointed out that all the equipment my son had used while in hospital had been purchased by the Foundation. From that moment on we knew we wanted to give back.”

tara organized “rewind to the 80’s”, a community event that featured a mashed potato bar, a professional photo booth and a dJ who only played 80’s music. once the word spread, this first-time event quickly sold out. a brightly dressed 80’s themed crowd danced all night, and this unique event quickly became the talk of the community. Plans are already underway to bring the event back (by popular demand!).

“We are already planning the next one.” said tara, “the biggest question is theme. Will it be an 80’s party again or will we find something else that will be equally “awesome” to help the children?”

since her son passed away, tara has hosted a series of community events in Lambton County and has raised more than $25,000 for Children’s Hospital.

Thank you to the hundreds of passionate and dedicated individuals, groups and organizations who give so generously of their time and resources to host community events and initiatives on behalf of Children’s Health Foundation.

you raise HoPe

For Our Children

When you raiSe Money in your coMMunity,

you raise HoPe

For Our Children

When you raiSe Money in your coMMunity,

MiraCLes HaPPen

When you give every Month,

“Children’s Hospital means the life of our son – he wouldn’t be here today without them”

- Julie, Eli’s Mom.

at just 2 ½ years old, eli suffered sudden and massive brain damage while at day care. Quick thinking by his caregiver kept him alive until he could be transferred to Children’s Hospital. doctors operated immediately and induced a coma for three days to allow his brain to heal. after seven days in the Paediatric Critical Care unit he began to recover – slowly moving toes, fingers, and eventually opening his eyes. the team of physicians and health care professionals at Children’s Hospital calls him a miracle. eli is still undergoing regular therapy for speech and learning how to use his left side with the help of occupational therapy. incredibly he is running and talking!

Children’s Health Foundation grants funds annually to Children’s Hospital and Children’s Health research institute to help fund specialized lifesaving equipment, provide leading edge training, and fund important research discoveries for childhood illnesses.

Monthly giving is one of the most powerful and meaningful ways to give. no matter the amount every month can very quickly have a significant impact.

thanks to our Circle of Caring Hearts® Monthly donors, Children’s can plan for the future and develop sustainable ongoing programs that make miracles like eli possible.

Lexi has always struggled with her weight – not easy when you’re a teenager and it feels like your parents are always telling you what to do.

at Children’s Hospital and Children’s Health research institute, Lexi is enrolled in the reaCH program – an intense research program designed to help children and teens address healthy lifestyle issues and weight management.

With a two-year commitment to the study, Lexi is learning how to plan healthy meals with her family, consults regularly with a social worker and nutritionist and is an active participant in supervised activities at the

yMCa. as part of the reaCH program, Lexi is also part of a research study that looks at the possible side effects of a drug called Metformin. it is used to determine its role in taking a proactive approach to weight management and preventing type ii diabetes in high-risk children like Lexi.

Childhood obesity is a complex metabolic disorder that is having a profound impact on the life expectancy of our children. at Children’s Hospital and Children’s Health research institute, the goal is to implement new research findings and interventions that go beyond diet and exercise and will positively impact children’s health.

thanks to donor support, Children’s Health research institute and Children’s Hospital have become a collaborative hub for research on obesity in children that will ultimately help identify the prevalence, causes and risk factors for obesity.

LegaCy giFt You Make a Lasting Impact

you CHange LivesWhen you give to reSearch,

Just one year into the study, Lexi has much better physical abilities and more energy. Most importantly, she feels better about herself and her self-esteem has improved.

When Jesse was almost three, he was infected with e.Coli. the infection caused irreparable damage to his kidneys. Without a transplant he would not have survived. His father courageously offered his own kidney and thanks to the rapid, effective care of the specialist paediatric surgical transplant team at Children’s Hospital, Jesse is now learning to skateboard with all the energy and enthusiasm of any young boy. doctors at Children’s continue to provide specialized care and monitoring of Jesse’s health. although there are still some ongoing challenges, Jesse and his family are focused on the future, always looking in the bright side. support for Jesse, his family and many other children like him, was made possible by gifts from supporters who had made a special decision, many years before Jesse was even born. their decision was to leave a bequest in their will for Children’s Health Foundation. their planned gift became a fitting tribute to their lives, a comfort for their families and a life saving legacy that lives on in the lives of the children they have helped.

today, Children’s Health Foundation is grateful to supporters such as ross and Joan totten, who in addition to their annual giving, have created an important legacy gift. For both ross and Joan “giving back” has been an important life-long value. By including Children’s Health Foundation in their Will, the tottens have ensured that children for generations to come will continue to receive the very best possible health care and have the chance to play and grow.

LegaCy giFt You Make a Lasting Impact

When you Make a

you CHange Lives

“Children are the future, and we wanted to do something to ensure the good work of Children’s Hospital continues, even after we are gone and not able to continue our annual support.”

- ross and Joan totten, Legacy giving donors

More Space

the new Children’s Hospital will have three times the space than before with a spacious warm atmosphere for patients and their parents during their health care journey. our children inspired many of the space design ideas that were in turn embraced by staff and the architects. the sixth floor paediatric areas feature special curved doorframes and winding patterns. other floors include rounded millwork on desks and counters and warm wood and earth tone accents everywhere.

More Light

Bright light can improve health outcomes, shorten hospital stays and help relieve stress and pain. every patient room has its own window and there is an abundance of natural light as patients enter the building through the welcoming five-storey atrium. the atrium and healing garden with trees, waterfall and pools will impact and shorten recuperation time.

More Hope

three specialized age appropriate playrooms offer places where kids can play, relax or just hang out away from medical procedures. each patient room is equipped with state-of-the-art patient monitors that include immediate access to medical information at the bedside, video games, television and internet. the calming powers of nature, trees, plants and water serves as thematic backdrops to every floor, providing a feeling of hope and healing throughout the new Hospital.

tHank you

for Building a place of hope and healing

When the new Children’s Hospital opens in september 2011, you, our donors can take enormous pride in the role you have played to provide our children with this incredible place of hope and healing.

“Having boys who needed medical attention when they were younger, we know first-hand how important it is to give back and support the efforts of Children’s. We knew making a gift to help build the New Children’s Hospital would make a world of difference for the sick and injured children of our community.”

- Mark and Lillian Farrow

Best Care PossiBLe

For Our Babies

helping provide the

Born at just 24 weeks and weighing barely one and half pounds, Liam Poole needed the kind of lifesaving care that can only be found at a neonatal intensive Care unit (niCu). after 92 days and weighing 6lbs, Liam was finally able to go home.

When babies are born prematurely or with a serious illness, they are suddenly thrust into an environment at odds with what they need to stay alive. the niCu cares for 600 – 700 newborns each year from communities all over southwestern ontario and parts of northern ontario. When the niCu moves from st. Joseph’s Health Care London to the new Children’s Hospital in June 2011 it will continue to provide the excellent care needed to enhance a newborn’s chance of survival.

as part of this historic move, 52 new monitors, like the ones used to care for tiny Liam, are needed to provide the best care for premature and critically ill newborns.

in January 2011, Children’s Health Foundation assumed fundraising responsibilities for the niCu, providing donors with a new opportunity to support Children’s Hospital. donor generosity plays a critical role in the hospital’s ability to purchase specialized equipment.

“the nurses were like Liam’s angels – they loved him like he was one of their own. We are so thankful the niCu was here when we needed it, otherwise i don’t think Liam would be here today.”

- Liam’s Mom, dominique

raise HoPe

There are five key areas where donors have the most impact on the health of children and youth:

• Deliveryofspecializedpatientcare• Conductingspecializedresearch• Purchasingequipment• Providingeducation,trainingandresources• Providingregionaloutreachclinics

Children’s Health Foundation raises money and grants funds to Children’s Hospital and Children’s Health Research Institute

C H I L D R E N ’ s H O s p I TA L AT L O N D O N H E A LT H s C I E N C E s C E N T R E

Delivery of specialized patient Care at Children’s through:

• 19subspecialtyclinicalprograms• ArtTherapyProgram• ChildLifeProgram• Ollie,theTherapeuticClown

And important work in the areas of:

• ChildandAdolescentMentalHealth• ChildhoodObesity• PalliativeCare• ThePreventionofInjuriesandTrauma

as the regional Paediatric referral Centre for southwestern ontario, providing outreach Clinics in Windsor, kitchener-Waterloo, owen sound, sault ste. Marie and thunder Bay telemedicine services

providing the Education, Training and Resources essential to Excellent Care• FamilyAdvisoryCouncil• ChildrenandYouthAdvisoryCouncil• J.C.RathbunLibraryforHealthCare

Professionals• FamilyResourceCentreforfamilies• WorkshopsandConferencesforpatients,

families and health care professionals• FamilyAssistanceProgramforfamilies

C H I L D R E N ’ s H E A LT H R E s E A R C H I N s T I T U T E

Conducting specialized Research at Children’s Health Research Institute with a focus on:Chronic Illnesses• TraumaticBrainInjury• ChildhoodCancer• Epilepsy• EnvironmentandChildren’sHealth

Epigenetics • Understandingthegenesbehindcomplex

childhood disorders and illnesses Translational Research • Helpingresearchfindingsgettothebedside

sooner

s p E C I A L I Z E D s U p p O R T

purchasing specialized Equipment Because Technology saves Lives. Examples include:• MonitorsfortheNeonatalIntensiveCareUnit

(niCu)• VideoLaryngoscope• PaediatricCriticalCareUnitVentilators

raise HoPe Where you can help

for thoSe Who need it MoSt

in 2010, you helped us raise more than just hope. thanks to your continued generosity, we granted $3.8 million for children’s health including:

• $1,000,000tospecializedservicesandprogramsliketheChild Life Program;

• $771,000forspecializedmedicalequipmentsuchasthreelifesavingventilators for the Paediatric Critical Care unit;

• $1,035,000towardscriticalchildhealthresearchintothecausesandcures of child illnesses and diseases like epilepsy and traumatic brain injuries, and

• $1,325,000forchildhealthcarepriorities,suchaschildhoodobesity,epigenetics and quality of life issues.

your donation plays a vital role. it bridges the gap between what is needed to deliver care and conduct research and what the government provides.

at CHF, we are committed to raising funds and granting money to CH and CHri in the most effective and efficient manner possible. in 2010, our cost per dollar raised was $0.31, in line with industry standards and the Canada revenue agency guidelines.

HoW your donations are used

specialized paediatric care and programs

Paediatric care equipment

Paediatric research programs

49%

19%

32%

how funds are allocated (2010)

individuals and families

Community and fundraising events

organizations*

Children’s Miracle network

Bequests and legacies

investment income

*Corporations, foundations, associations and service clubs

25%

14%

24%

11%

22%

4%

Source of funds (2010)

Children’s Hospital & Children’s Health research institute

Foundation operations and education

Fundraising activities

69%

10%

21%

use of funds (2010)

our Board oF direCtors 2010 – 2011

Directorskirk Baines

London Health Sciences Foundation, Board Representative

Janet Christensen Dynamic Awareness Inc.

Michelle Faysal London Health Sciences Centre, Board Representative

adam Hopper Bio Agri Mix LP

nadia M. Joseph TD Ameritrade

Jennifer Macdonald Agri-THERM Inc.

susan nickle Wortzman Nickle Professional Corporation

Paul Paolatto WORLDiscoveries

ellen rosen Consultant, Retired Health Care Executive

kristina shaw Miller Thomson LLP

Cathy Weaver The Great West Life Assurance Company/London Life

david Woodward Lerners LLP

Health Care professional Resources (non-voting)

Bonnie adamson President and CEO, London Health Sciences Centre

Laurie gould Vice President, Patient Centered Care, London Health Sciences Centre

dr. guido Filler Chair/Chief, Paediatrics, Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre

dr. victor Han Director, Children’s Health Research Institute

the Foundation is fortunate to benefit from the talent and wisdom of an experienced volunteer Board of directors. Board members are recruited to rigorously evaluate accomplishments against goals set out in the Foundation’s strategic plan, review grant requests, allocate funding, approve budgets and monitor expenses.

OfficersMichael Lerner,

Chair - Lerners LLP

Paul guenette, Vice Chair - CertaPro Painters

Craig Postons, Vice Chair - PathWay Communications Inc.

tracy gustafson, Treasurer - Chartered Accountant

debbie Comuzzi, Secretary (non-voting) - President and CEO, Children’s Health Foundation

Children’s Health Foundation is the primary fundraising organization of Children’s Hospital at London Health sciences Centre and the Children’s Health research institute. Charitable registration #118852482rr0001

345 Westminster aveLondon, ontario n6C 4v3P: 519-432-8564; 1-888-834-2496 F: 519-432-5907www.childhealth.ca

our Mission

Children’s Health Foundation is dedicated to raising and granting funds to support specialized health care and research for children and youth—now and in the future.

our values

•Committed•Focused•Strategic•Accountable