Help heal and save kids’ lives this summer
When children are out of school and their days are full of summer activities, it can lead to injuries and accidents. At the same time, our skilled staff continue to treat young patients who require cutting-edge treatments for complex medical conditions.
With you behind us, we can make sure that every child who comes to Lurie Children’s has unsurpassed pediatric care. Your generous gift during our 2024 Summer of Healing Matching Challenge will help provide care for patients who come to the hospital for everything from broken arms to rare cancers. Your gift gives every child the chance for a healthy future.
Chicagoland area hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® have challenged generous donors like you to match their $100,000 donation during Lurie Children’s 2024 Summer of Healing Matching Challenge. With their gift, every dollar you give to this campaign — up to $100,000 — will have double the impact and provide a healthier future for even more children.
2X
Double the impact for kids like Xavier
Donate to our 2024 Summer of Healing Matching Challenge
Xavier’s Story
Being a patient at Lurie Children’s for 10 years brings a range of emotions to Xavier’s family, but above all, gratitude. Diagnosed at 3 years old with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that occurs when a person’s bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells, Xavier needed a transplant to cure him and fortunately his twin sister was a perfect match. Following his transplant in 2013, Xavier spent over a month in the hospital recovering and building his immunity. After several years in remission, Xavier joined the Survivors Taking Action and Responsibility (STAR) Program. The program’s goal is to assist and empower survivors to grow and develop into adulthood, have a voice, live to their full potential and contribute to society.
But last year, nearly 10 years post-transplant, he was re-diagnosed with aplastic anemia. In August 2023, Xavier received a second bone marrow transplant and has been recovering well since then. Undergoing treatment a second time has reminded Xavier’s family of their gratitude for their support system at Lurie Children’s and beyond. Now experiencing treatment as a pre-teen, Xavier better understands his condition and his care. He’s been appreciative of his friends and family who’ve spent time checking on him and playing games with him remotely while going through treatment. His family still holds the same concerns about his health, but this time they’ve had a different perspective. “We knew what we were coming in for this time around and it was easier for us to be more positive,” Xavier’s mom, Liz, said.
Through it all, the family has prioritized positivity, gratitude and a strong regard for Xavier’s emotional well-being. “This is such a small snippet of time. As a family we have already gained so much strength, support, perspective and most importantly gratitude and hope from this experience,” said Liz.
Thank you!
On behalf of our extraordinary patients, we want to thank you for donating to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Your gift is so much more than a donation. It’s giving a child a healthier, brighter tomorrow.