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 League Helps Fund Life-Saving Work At Children's
Lisa Hughes BOSTON (WBZ) The doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital Boston perform life saving work every day, but they can't do it without the help and fundraising support of friends like the Children's Hospital League. The league has donated $14 million over the years for programs like art and music therapy and patient entertainment. They've even given the hospital an ambulance. But it's their support of cutting edge research that may, in the near future, bring real hope to children with birth defects.
 Shane Shannon is nearly 6-years old now, but even before he was born, doctors at Children's were planning the surgery that would save his life. The problem: an ultrasound found a hole in his diaphragm. "In utero, it allowed his stomach, his intestines and part of his liver to move up into his chest cavity, which in turn pushed over his heart and crowded out his lungs" says Anne Shannon, Shane's mother." One day after he was born, surgeons fixed those problems and covered the hole with a gore-tex patch. "We obviously had concerns. Here was a foreign body being entered into our son's body," says Shane's dad Scott Shannon. Since the artificial patch can't grow along with Shane, he'll have to be closely monitored for any signs of problems. But what if birth defects like Shane's could be repaired using the baby's own tissue? That's what researchers at Children's Hospital are attempting to do. It's called fetal tissue engineering, and it's proven successful in animal experiments.
A small number of fetal cells are taken from the amniotic fluid and are used to grow tissue which is completely compatible with the baby, so it will not only grow with the child, it will not be rejected. Dr. Dario Fauza is the lead scientist. "Fetal cells are a wonderful raw material," says Dr. Fauza. "Any defect that structurally impacts the baby's well being can conceivably be treated this way, and the list is really sizable," he adds.
Dr. Fauza's work is just one of the ground breaking research projects the Children's Hospital League supports with their generosity. "This collective group makes a huge difference in the lives of all the children and families that come into this hospital," says Nancy Porter, the League's co-president. "The freedom they give us is, I cannot say enough about how important that is," says Dr. Fauza. "I am as grateful as one can be to the League for all the support they've given us," he says. Fauza hopes to begin clinical trials of his techniques in the new year.
Today, Shane is doing great with the artificial patch, and his parents say the new research will help many kids like Shane lead healthy, happy lives. "Children's Hospital is a place of hope," says Anne Shannon. "They gave us him. For that we're eternally grateful," says Scott.
The Children's Hospital League is about to hold its' biggest fundraiser of the year. The Leagues' black tie gala takes place on November 22. To find out how you can support the League check out ChildrensHospitalLeague.org.
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Children's Hospital League Impacts Young Patients BOSTON (WBZ)
The doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital Boston perform medical miracles every day, but they don't do it alone.
In fact they get a lot of help from a lot of people. Members of the Children's Hospital League are in the forefront of supporting that lifesaving work. Over the years the non-profit, all volunteer League has donated $13 million to Children's Hospital, and that money is making a big difference for the kids.
As the gentle sounds of a guitar and a woman's voice drift down a hospital corridor, 4-month-old Drew Potenti listens intently. Drew has been hospitalized all her life and is in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at Children's because of a rare muscle disorder. Music therapist Joanna Bereaud sings to her and using chimes to encourage Drew to grasp the metal tubes as a form of exercise. For Drew, the music therapy is part of her recovery. "I do see a medical benefit," says Bereaud. "Stress relief, lowering the heart rate. I see children falling asleep when they have not slept for some time." The music also provides children, like 4-year-old Allie Lane, a much needed break from the hospital routine. Allie heartily joins Joanna in an all time favorite- "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." This innovative program is just one of many efforts funded by the Children's Hospital League.
"The League's mission is to make the kids feel like kids while they're in the hospital," says Rachel Sieber, the League's co-president. "You see the kids be just a little bit happier," she adds. To do just that, the League also funds the "Paw Prints" program where specially trained dogs spend time with the young patients, taking their minds off treatments, shots and tests. "Having a pet come and visit them, there's nothing that can make a kid happier than that," says Sieber. In addition to providing the kids with a little fun, the League also supports cancer research, community programs and even purchased an ambulance for the hospital. "I think we're really lucky to have Children's in our backyard. It's a world class institution. They do a lot of wonderful things," says Sieber.
The League has about 500 members and they fundraise throughout the year. One of their biggest events is Saturday night (Nov. 17th), the 25th Children's Hospital League Gala, with dinner, dancing and auctions, all to raise money for the hospital.
If you'd like to support the League or find out more about their work, visit www.childrenshospitalleague.org.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) Nov 16, 2007 4:03 pm US/Eastern
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 Grand Opening Gala Monday, July 16, 2007
Children's Hospital, Flutie Foundation partner in fundraising event
The Children's Hospital League and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism will serve as charity partners for the grand opening gala of the Natick Collection Sept. 6, 2007. Tickets to the invitation-only event are $125 per person. The Natick Collection, formerly known as the Natick Mall in Natick, Mass., is undergoing new construction and rebranding to create a lifestyle center that includes 1 million square feet of retail, 215 luxury condos, a proposed hotel and landscaped amenities.
The Brookline, Mass.-based Children's Hospital League promotes community awareness and provides financial support for Children's Hospital Boston. The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Inc., based in Framingham, Mass., provides financial assistance for treatment, education and advocacy to families who have children with autism.
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Holiday benefit for hospital shows it's in League of its own
Social Scene - Dana Bisbee
Monday, December 6, 2004
A Christmas tree forest grew beside a village of gingerbread houses in the Westin Hotel Copley Place Saturday night.The Children's Hospital League's ''Festival 2004: The Wonder of Children'' celebrated the holiday symbols while raising funds to support a variety of services at Children's Hospital Boston.''We fund all the stuff to make a child's hospital stay happier,'' said Mary Sue Terranova of Wayland, who co-chaired the gala with Karen Philip and Wendy Simches, both also from Wayland. League-funded programs include the Big Apple Circus' Clown Care Unit, a pet therapy program, the hospital's Entertainment Center and music and art therapy programs. The League also funded the Children's Hospital's ambulance, a new Devon Nicole House for patients' families and recently fulfilled a $1.5 million pledge to the hospital's Center for the Critically Ill Child. The party's main event was the sale of 15 designer-decorated Christmas trees, which were sold and then donated by their owners to go to other children's charities. CBS4 news anchors Lisa Hughes and Josh Binswanger were emcees. The on-air duo, accompanied by his wife, Carla Binswanger, and her fiance, Mike Casey, introduced hospital president James Mandell, League president Patti Wayne and two emotion-packed patient parent testimonials. Karin Lieberman and Carolyn Snider, both of Newton, co-chaired the trees committee. Revelers included Lynne and Gary Smith of Wellesley, Carolyn and Joe Campanelli of Wellesley, and Susan and John Spooner of Boston. Monday, December 6, 2004
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