A fun day out on the water surfing behind a boat at Pine Knoll Shores last August quickly turned tragic for 13-year-old Wiley Sloan.
Wiley says, “I could just hear the propeller spinning and getting closer and closer.”
As the boat circled around to pick him up, he was struck by the propeller. “I knew I got hit but I didn’t know it was going to be this bad, said Wiley.
Wiley’s dad Hamilton was about to head to the coast from their Raleigh home when his wife Hannah called. “She just said there’s been a boating accident. I don’t know what’s going on. Just go to Greenville. I’ll meet you in Greenville.”
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As Hamilton frantically rushed to Maynard Children’s Hospital, his wife called back with more details, “And said Wiley’s lost an arm, um, and he’s in a helicopter on his way to Greenville right now.”
Wiley remembers, “You don’t want to look cause It kinda makes the pain worse but it’s pretty hard not to look.”
Now, this young man, who loves the water and competing in every sport you can imagine, was in his toughest battle yet. For his life.
Hamilton says, “The doctors, as they should be, were very straightforward about the fact that he was a very sick young man and had significant traumatic injuries.”
Not only did Wiley lose his left arm, he had severe injuries to his abdomen and leg, and would have to endure 10 surgeries.
Back home, his classmates lifted him in prayer, while at the hospital, ECU baseball player Parker Byrd, who lost a leg in a boating accident a year earlier, lifted his spirits, all helping Wiley stay brave and calm through it all.
“Maybe just motivation to get better and better and I just kept my mind off of what happened,” said Wiley.
After 33 days in the hospital, he was well enough to go home.
Hamilton says, “And that’s a testament to Wiley’s toughness and healing and a testament to the staff at the hospital.”
Today, not even a year since the accident, he’s back doing some of what he loves as he continues to heal in the pool and on the basketball court.
Being from Raleigh, Hamilton says he wasn’t familiar with Maynard Children’s Hospital and initially wasn’t sure what to think when Wiley was flown there, but says as time moved on and they learned more about the hospital, the doctors, and the level of care they were receiving, he says it became very obvious they were in the right place.
Hamilton says, “Eastern North Carolina is very fortunate to have the Maynard Children’s Hospital. It is a first-class facility.”
One that he says deserves your support and one that he thanks for saving his son’s life. “I’m a witness to a miracle at ECU Health and Wiley is absolutely fortunate to be a miracle child,” said Hamilton.
Wiley couldn’t be more grateful. “I see myself as a miracle cause everything was so perfect and good.”
Be sure to tune in this weekend for the CMN Telethon and make a pledge to help ensure kids like Wiley are able to get the critical treatment they need right here in Eastern Carolina.
Layah Collins is like any other kindergartner, bubbly and full of life. But in 2019 and over the next five years, she would endure unimaginable pain and suffering from Neuroblastoma. But her mother says with help of the doctors and nurses at the Maynard Children’s Hospital, it’s a battle Layah would fight and win.
“Girl on fire.” 6-year-old Layah Collins says that’s her favorite song. Ironically, it also describes her incredible journey in her fight against cancer.
In 2019, 1-year-old Layah was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma. Her mother, Alysha Collins, says she found out after a scan at the Maynard Children’s Hospital revealed a bump on her head was actually a tumor.
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“I was shocked not what I was expecting. It’s one of those you see the commercials on TV but you never think it’s going to be your child,” says Collins.
Enter Dr. Cathleen Cook, a woman who Alysha says not only became their physician, but an honorary member of the family and would stand by her and Layah’s side from that moment on.
“On my fridge, on the top part, I have when she was diagnosed and all the pictures that she has shared and given to me. So, my son even knows who Layah is, so we do get very close to our patients,” says Cook.
By 2020, 2-year-old Layah had seven surgeries, five bone marrow biopsies, one specialized radiation session, one stem cell infusion and thirteen cycles of Chemotherapy. It was then that Alysha says it became apparent the disease was winning and she was forced to make the hardest decision she’s ever had to make and stop treatment.
“Nothing was working and the treatments made her sick, she was nauseous, she threw up, she had lost all of her hair, her beautiful curls had all fallen out and I just wanted her home because if it wasn’t working I didn’t want to keep putting her through that. She was only 2 and her little body had already been through so much,” says Collins.
Alysha says, however – her daughter did live and thrive – and over the next three years frequent scans showed the cancer was not growing or spreading.
The relief was short-lived — in 2023, tests showed new sites of the disease not previously seen. That’s when 5-year-old Layah would undergo yet another brain surgery and be given a different Chemotherapy agent, referred to as compassionate use medication.
The new treatment worked — and in January 2024 6-year-old Layah’s scan was negative. Alysha says it is nothing short of a miracle for her daughter to be in remission for the first time in five years.
“I was like what does this mean and she said that she would be considered in remission, and I just cried, because those were words that I never thought I was going to hear,” says Collins.
Alysha says although it’s been a rough road, she’s grateful for the support from all the doctors and nurses at the Maynard Children’s Hospital.
“The care here was amazing, everybody made us feel like family, still when she walks through the front door everybody knows who Layah is, everybody knows,” says Collins.
She says Layah is stronger than ever and living the life that she deserves.
“This girl is on fire. She’s walking on fire. This girl is on fire,” says Collins.
Dr. Cook says Layah is in remission and there are no new signs of the disease. She says Layah will receive scans every three months for the next couple of years and continue to be monitored through age 25.
You can continue to make miracles like Layah’s happen when you tune in and make a pledge this weekend during the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.
The neonatal intensive care unit at Maynard Children’s Hospital, also known as the NICU, is where the most delicate babies who need the highest level of care and attention come.
Most of them are premature babies who are born locally in Greenville or from 28 other counties in the east.
Premature babies born under 30 weeks or that weigh less than 1,500 grams come into this world with many risks, including retinopathy of prematurity.
“Where the blood vessels of the retina do not form normally,” Dr. Ostrovsky, the Chief of Ophthalmology Services at ECU Health System explained.
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The retina contains the photoreceptors in the eye, making it crucial to see normally.
So, every day and every hour matters to babies born with this condition.
“Sometimes untreated, it can cause retinal detachment and blindness,” Dr. Ostrovsky said.
Now, imagine if doctors can detect conditions like this beforehand and ensure a life of healthy vision that is made possible with the retina cam.
Once the doctor instills numbing drops, dilating drops, and stabilizes the baby’s eyelid with a metal speculum, the retina cam can take high-resolution, 130-degree pictures in a matter of seconds.
“Create better images of the baby’s retina, allow us to follow the more reliably, also to create a more reliable follow-up for the babies as they continue their treatment,” Dr. Ostrovsky shared.
Those images then allow doctors to monitor and evaluate a baby’s eye health.
The retina cam can also be used on normal, full-term babies, who have gone through non-accidental trauma, or abuse.
“These images are not only important clinically, again, for monitoring the progression of how these kids feel after the trauma they sustained, but also medical-legally when these images are shown in front of a judge and jury,” Dr. Ostrovsky said.
As a pioneer in this revolutionary technology, the Maynard Children Hospital’s retina cam will not only change many life trajectories but also serve as a role model for many doctors and hospitals across the country.
You can ensure equipment like that is available for kids in the east when you make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Telethon this weekend on WITN.
All week long on WITN, we’ll continue to share the inspiring stories of many resilient children in the east but as the 39th annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon approaches, we wanted to show you how the recent addition of man’s best friend at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital has lifted the spirits of patients.
When you visit the Jamie and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital, you probably expect to see patients roaming the halls but not a furry four-legged friend.
“We have patients tell us all the time, she’s the best investment this hospital’s ever made,” said ECU Health Child Life Specialist and Dog Handler, Ashton Ayers.
Meet Sam, a golden retriever, labrador, and doodle mix who’s known around the hospital for brightening children’s day.
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“She was going to be the best part of my day today no matter what happened,” said Maynard Children’s Hospital patient, Winter Burke.
2-year-old Sam joined the Maynard Canine Crew back in November 2023, but she’s quickly stolen the hearts of many patients.
Ayers says the love and comfort Sam provides is truly special for the children.
“As child life we’re the fun guys typically so they know us but after they’ve had 40 people in the room all day, seeing Sam is an instant smile and change in their attitude,” Ayers said.
Like many of us humans, Sam works Monday-Friday clocking 40 hours a week but for Sam putting smiles on the faces of kids like Burke makes it all worth it.
Burke says she’d been spending most her time at the hospital in bed, but seeing Sam changed that.
“I was very happy,” Burke said. “I wanted to cry because I felt like since I couldn’t see my own dog, she was like my own dog for day.”
Being in the hospital for long periods of time can be hard for any child, but with Sam there are no bad days even for Ayers.
“I say all the time since I’ve had Sam, I haven’t had a bad day at work,” Ayers said. “There’s been hard things we’ve had to deal with together, but just seeing her impact is truly amazing to see. She’s just such a cool co-worker, no one else gets to work with a dog everyday.”
Sam is so much more than just an ordinary four-legged friend to the patients at Maynard Children’s Hospital.
Some say they’re glad to have her as a safe haven because they don’t know if they’d be able to get through their individual health battles without her.
“I think it means a lot that they can make us happy,” Burke said.
Ayers says they’re now on the waiting list for another dog to add their team alongside Sam and hope your donations during this weekend’s Children’s Miracle Network telethon will help the Maynard Canine Crew continue to grow.
The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Celebration Broadcast honors past telethon traditions by celebrating selected miracle stories of children who represent the thousands of children in eastern North Carolina who have received treatment at James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center this past year. This year, the CMN Celebration Broadcast will be held on Saturday, June 1, from 7-8 p.m. and Sunday, June 2, from 6-9 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. airing on longtime partner, WITN. Examples of how CMN donations are used will be featured throughout the event as well to show the impact philanthropic gifts truly make.
“We are so grateful to all those who support our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals program all throughout the year,” said Elise Ironmonger, director of programs, ECU Health Foundation. “The generosity of our donors enables Maynard Children’s Hospital, located in Greenville and serving 29 counties, to provide life-saving care to the thousands of children who are treated each year. We look forward to being able to showcase the amazing care provided every day at Maynard Children’s Hospital during this weekend’s telethon and to have an opportunity to thank our amazing donors.”
This year’s Miracle Children and Teen include:
- Jadon Green, 1 year old, Greene County
- Leonardo Velasquez-Bartolon, 2 years old, Wayne County
- Layah Collins, 6 years old, Jones County
- Wiley Sloan, 14 years old, Wake County
The 2024 broadcast will highlight examples of the amazing care offered every day at Maynard Children’s Hospital while celebrating the miracles made possible by the life-saving care generous donations help provide. Thanks to the generosity of eastern North Carolina, thousands of children receive the specialized medical care they need, bringing them and their families the gift of hope and healing. Because of this support, the team at Maynard Children’s Hospital can ensure patients receive the best care possible.
The local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program is staffed and supported by the ECU Health Foundation, the non-profit charitable corporation that serves as the custodian for all financial gifts and bequests to ECU Health. The ECU Health Foundation oversees allocation of all donated funds. To donate, please call 1-800-673-5437 or visit givetocmn.com.
On the days leading up to our Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, we are introducing you to patients who have been treated at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital in Greenville. It’s because of their thoughtful care and attention that these children are so successful.
Tonight, we’re meeting Leonardo Velasquez-Bartolon – or Leo – whose struggle with a rare kidney condition left his parents thinking he might not be able to walk.
“The word that would best describe him is brave,” said Leo’s mother Vilmy Velasquez-Bartolon.
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Though bravery isn’t something a child should have to show, 3-year-old Leonardo Velasquez-Bartolon has harnessed it to overcome unimaginable health challenges.
“He was born prematurely in Goldsboro,” Vilmy said. “But that same day he had to be transferred over to Greenville. He was in the NICU for 20 days,”
At that point, Vilmy says they were able to take Leo home. But two months later–“I noticed that he wasn’t like a normal kid,” Vilmy explained.
They took him to a pediatrician who told them to bring Leo to the emergency department at ECU Health. He was later transferred to James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital in Greenville.
Leo was diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare condition that can lead to kidney failure.
Shortly after Leo turned one, he had a stroke on the right side of his brain that affected the left side of his body.
“He couldn’t move his leg, his arm, and we thought that that would be very complicated, maybe he wouldn’t be able to walk,” Vilmy said. “But Leonardo is his miracle because he’s walking and he’s receiving some therapy because he’s lifting his arm more.”
Through his health challenges, Vilmy says the hospital staff always made them feel welcome and cared for.
“Everything that Leonardo has needed, the nurses have always been very, very attentive and very caring,” Vilmy said. “Every time Leo wanted toys, they would take him some toys. When he wanted cards they would take him some cards.”
Though Vilmy and her husband Pablo Morales mainly speak Spanish, Vilmy says they always felt comfortable.
“To the interpreters at the hospital, because it’s been difficult for us at the hospital because we don’t speak English,” Vilmy said. “But we’ve always had their assistance, from the interpreters.”
Leo reached a major milestone last April, he received a kidney transplant.
“It’s gone very well,” Vilmy said. “He’s been responding very well.”
At a young age, he’s survived a lot, but thanks to the care he received at the Maynard Children’s Hospital – and his own strength – he made it through.
“Right now, more than anything, I just feel proud,” said Leo’s father Pablo Morales. “I see him running, we see him smiling and laughing.”
“We doubted that he’d be able to run and do the things that he’s doing now,” Vilmy said. “But miracles can happen, and we have him.”
Pablo, Leo’s father, says Leo is mainly working on mobility on his left foot and his left arm. He is going through physical therapy to help with that process.
You can help continue to make miracles like Leo’s possible when you watch and call in a pledge during the CMN telethon this weekend on WITN.
Jadon is the newest addition to the Green family. His parents feared the worst at his birth after losing two children to premature birth complications. Jadon was born in December 2022 at Maynards Children’s Hospital more than two months early. He spent over four months there with his brother, mother, and father supporting his challenging first weeks of life.
Calm, Cool, and collected is how 1 1/2 Jadon sits in the living room watching his older brother Jacob playing with toys, but that’s not how he came into the world. Weighing just two pounds, Jadon arrived around 13 weeks early. His parents Richard and Crystal Green were flooded with confusion and fear.
“We thought we had all the things in place to prevent it from happening and it was a feeling of not again,” says Crystal.
Nine months earlier, they welcomed happy and healthy Jacob to the world. His welcome arrival came after the devastating loss of a son and daughter to premature birth complications. They worried that Jadon’s premature arrival could end in tragedy yet again. It did not, as they turned to the battle in front of them.
“I’ve got a son. He’s here. He’s in NICU…. Fight… Prayer… Family… Friends,” says Richard Green.
His birth wasn’t without challenges. Jadon was jaundiced, he needed a ventilator to breathe, he was experiencing liver issues, required taking specialized formula, and needed to drink donor breast milk because of his early arrival.
On Christmas Eve, Richard and Crystal were told Jadon reacted to the donor breast milk which made him sick. Then in mid-January 2023, doctors performed exploratory surgery and diagnosed Jadon with necrotizing enterocolitis – a disease that can inflame, kill, and infect the intestinal lining.
“The way god designs the body is crazy because his body literally walled up the perforation area so that he couldn’t get sepsis and die. It stopped it, walled it up,” says Crystal Green.
Jadon’s fight to live marched on, but so did the obstacles. Jadon had a colostomy bag and central line port that became infected from the surgery, a breaking point for his mother.
“When I came back, not even 12 hours later, he looked like the Michelin Man, a totally different child,” says Crystal Green. “And I was like, why did I do this to my baby?”
But the storm clouds that had been part of Jadon’s first several months of life would finally part thanks to the steadfast care of his doctors and nurses, and the beads around mom’s neck document just how far they’d traveled on this journey.
“We actually have one of the first complete sets,” says Crystal.
The Maynards Children’s Hospital Hand to Hold Milestone Bead Program, specifically for parents in the NICU, documents every week, step forward, and landmark moment of their baby’s journey in the hospital.
And a hand Jadon had to hold himself. His older brother, Jacob, was there every step of the way, too.
“Jacob was there and the isolette was open,” says Jadon’s Father Richard Green. “It was the first time Jacob was able to interact with him, and the first thing he did was grab his hand”
The nurses and doctors at Maynards Children’s Hospital were all there with them until the final moment of their 119th day.
“They surprised us,” says Richard. “When we went in, they made stay in there and when we come out… every nurse and doctor were holding banners and saying graduation home. Not just for Jadon, but Jacob as well. When we walk all the way out… when we finally walked outside and watched him take his first breath of air outside… there was no better feeling in the world.”
Now he watches and learns from his older brother, catching up to him one step at a time. The next step for Jadon is learning how to walk. He’s starting physical therapy soon and attending Mayndards Children’s Hospital for regular check-ups.
While the East Carolina University (ECU) baseball team is rounding into form as postseason play nears, they’re also taking time out to make a special difference in their community.
After a visit to ECU Health Medical Center last November, as part of a career shadowing opportunity, senior first baseman Carter Cunningham felt compelled to do something to help patients and families.
“I’d been praying for ways to give back to the community,” Cunningham said. “As we’re doing a tour of the entire campus, we walked into the [Maynard] Children’s Hospital and it was like God had smacked me in the face. It was like, this is what I have to do. I didn’t know what it would look like yet, though.”
He said that week, he went back to the team and asked for a small donation from everyone to spread some holiday cheer to patients and families at the children’s hospital. The response was more than he expected.
“We got about $500 and we were able to drop off some presents to the children’s hospital right before break,” he said. “It was awesome. We had about 20 players come in and we hung out in the playroom and had a great time.”
Tara Tadlock, a child life specialist at Maynard Children’s Hospital, said patients and families would subsequently talk about the visit for the next month. The same held true for Cunningham and his teammates, who also went on talking about how special the visit felt.
He said over the Christmas break he took more time to think about what he could do to make an impact for patients and families like those he’d met a few weeks before. Then the idea to start a foundation, Homers That Help, came to him.
It started with a call for donations on social media, one sponsor for each of ECU’s 33 home baseball games in 2024. The sponsor makes an up-front donation to the fund and an additional donation for each home run hit during the game. While he expected to need some time and make some calls to fill every game, the fund was complete after about 15 hours.
“The community here, I can’t describe it,” Cunningham said. “I get goosebumps talking about it because they’re so generous and so supportive, not only of ECU athletics, but the whole community. It was a testament to all the people that are here and I’m thankful and blessed to have an opportunity to be here.”
Because of the outpouring of support, Cunningham opened a “Fund B” for those who were not able to directly sponsor a game but still wanted make a donation. Cunningham is making donations himself as well, contributing $25 to the fund for each of his own home runs. With nine home runs, Cunningham is tied for the team lead and backing up his own efforts.
Along with the funds, which Cunningham and Tadlock recently started to distribute to patients and families, Cunningham and his teammates are continuing to make bi-weekly visits to the Maynard Children’s Hospital. He said taking a step back to give time to others is important to him.
“As a Division I athlete, you get so caught up in the games and practices, the wins, the losses, but every other Monday it’s just eye-opening,” he said. “I’ll never forget one patient, the day before we went to play Campbell, he said, ‘Have fun at your game tomorrow.’ It was so refreshing and offered great perspective. It’s way bigger than baseball. These visits are the best part of my week every time I visit.”
Tadlock said the program has been a great benefit for everyone involved and she’s looking forward to its continued success.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time with scheduling our visitors and working in Child Life and these visits are a bright spot of our month, too. It’s great to see the patients and families so excited, seeing the guys so excited and knowing that they’re making a difference for our patients is huge,” Tadlock said. “Some of the kids that are here are going through really hard stuff and finding out hard news. If they’re able to leave that behind for a few minutes and hang out with the ECU baseball team, it’s really important to try to create those special moments. All we want to do in Child Life is provide some normal experiences for the children. Working with this team has been amazing.”
Though this is Cunningham’s last year at ECU, he said the plan is for Homers That Help to carry on. He’s looking to younger members of the team to pick up the torch and build upon the positive momentum the foundation has today.
Resources
Over the years, students in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University have personally witnessed the impact of cancer on countless lives.
Some have watched loved ones fight the disease, while others have worked with cancer patients during clinical rotations. Other students and alumni have even been cancer patients themselves.
Whatever their unique experiences with cancer have been, the response has been powerful. Their encounters with cancer turned into a growing tradition that benefits children from across eastern North Carolina who are fighting cancer battles of their own.
The eighth annual Pirates vs. Cancer event on April 12 raised close to $15,000 for pediatric cancer patients at ECU Health’s James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital.
Led by Brody students, the fundraiser has gained popularity and momentum over the years, with volunteers having their hair cut and donated, getting their heads shaved and even — for special faculty volunteers — receiving a pie to the face in support of the cause.
“One thing that I love about Pirates vs. Cancer is that you are able to see with your own eyes the direct impact of this work on the children at Maynard Children’s Hospital,” said Carly Uhlir, Brody student and event coordinator for Pirates vs. Cancer. “We know that every dollar we raise will add up to make a difference. Kids with pediatric cancer are more than just patients — they are among the strongest and bravest in our community. I want to continue the Pirates vs. Cancer mission that the founders so strongly believed in years ago and that has transcended all these years.”
Dr. Cedric Bright, senior associate dean of admissions for Brody, volunteered to receive pies in the face during the event on the lawn of the Health Sciences Student Center.
“It does your heart good to help the students with this type of thing to support those that are going through trying times with cancer,” he said. “Patients teach us so much, and this is just one way of us trying to give back to those patients that teach us so much.”
Jillian Berntsen of Kinston had her hair cut as an audience looked on and cheered — much like the health care teams and supporters helping her daughter during her cancer journey.
Berntsen said her daughter is receiving in-patient care at Maynard Children’s Hospital, her latest stay stretching for nine weeks. Pirates vs. Cancer gave the family a welcome respite from the hospital walls.
“There are so many things this hospital does, and the people we get to interact with have really become our family at this point from everything she’s been through,” Berntsen said. “We never really thought we’d have to experience anything like this and had no idea that things like this existed. This is the first time we’ve left the hospital in nine weeks, and knowing we had this to look forward to all week was something to get us through another week.”
The event was also eagerly anticipated by Brody students and community volunteers who wanted to help create a memorable and meaningful way to benefit pediatric patients. It has become part of a lifeline of support that keeps this special patient population equipped with resources to help them during their cancer journeys.
“The funds raised by PVC are critical to the maintenance of a positive environment for pediatric cancer patients here in Greenville,” said Grant Irons, Brody student and interdisciplinary chair of Pirates vs. Cancer.
Irons, who plans to pursue medical oncology as a specialty and spent time before medical school working with cancer patients, said the event also offers students a chance to see the realities of what some patients face and an opportunity to pause and look at the bigger picture.
“As future health care leaders, it is important to remember why we are here,” he said. “We entered the health care field to improve the lives of others. To become a well-rounded physician, I believe it is important to be involved outside of the classroom. There are endless opportunities to support our patient population here in Greenville, and I would encourage all health sciences students to lend a hand in these efforts.”
Dr. Cathleen Cook, Brody clinical associate professor of pediatric hematology/oncology and faculty advisor for Pirates vs. Cancer, said the event gives students exposure to the care of pediatric patients right here in eastern North Carolina.
“This fundraiser allows them the chance to see their financial contributions directly help these children while they are hospitalized in James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital and cared for in our ECU Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic,” Cook said.
Previous donations through the event, she added, have been used to remodel an inpatient playroom, a space of respite for patients undergoing treatment. Pirates vs. Cancer also helps fund a portion of summer camps for pediatric hematology and oncology patients — Camp Rainbow and Camp Hope.
“Often, donors and volunteers are unaware of the administrative costs that are allocated from the proceeds and not able to see their donations at work,” Cook said. “For Pirates vs Cancer, 100% of the donations are re-invested in our pediatric patients, most specifically our oncology patients. It is my vision to continue to engage these future physicians annually and help support their goal of expanding this fundraiser.”
Brody student Katie Holt decided to get involved with the event to make an impact beyond fundraising. She served as this year’s president of Pirates vs. Cancer.
“Helping to put on this event is awe-inspiring because it puts into perspective the actual size of the Brody and health sciences community,” Holt said. “Applying to Brody, you are frequently told about the passion of the community in serving Greenville and eastern North Carolina. Helping to organize this event gives you a front-row seat to this passion in action.”
Holt said the annual event has caught on across the community.
“People I have never met have reached out to us to offer their help,” she said. “Businesses across the community donate their time and money. Employees from all different departments buy T-shirts to support us. Students across the many health sciences schools donate their hair. The event has shown us firsthand that ECU doesn’t just talk about serving others but goes above and beyond to invest in its community.”
Holt said the event, in addition to benefiting pediatric cancer patients, helps center medical students and remind them why they chose health care careers.
“Serving others, through this event or another community service program, benefits the community as well as serves to fight burnout and protect your mental health,” she said. “I know it has done this for me and many others on the Pirates vs. Cancer team by connecting us to something bigger than ourselves and keeping our sights fixed on a point beyond the next test.”
Uhlir said the event brings participants full circle in seeing their own life journeys while also understanding the magnitude of the battles other people face.
“It is both humbling and inspiring. As medical students, we often lose sight of the big picture. These patients have been through so much, so it is an amazing opportunity to be able to support them directly,” she said. “I also think back to all of the children I have known both personally and indirectly from the time I was a kid myself until now, and how this is such a great way of honoring their spirits.”
Miracle Children and their stories of remarkable courage during life-threatening illnesses and injuries helped make the 38th annual Celebration Broadcast a tremendous success.
Thanks to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ longtime television partner, WITN, which produces the fundraiser, this year’s Miracle Children were able to share their heartwarming stories of complex illnesses and traumatic injuries and the quality medical care they received from Maynard Children’s Hospital.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign has been “Change Kids’ Health, Change the Future” which shows how important donations are in helping shape a healthier tomorrow for patients served at Maynard Children’s Hospital.
Major contributors to the yearly event, held June 3-4 to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, featured contributions from long-time supporters from across eastern North Carolina including Speedway, part of 7-Eleven, Inc., Jersey Mike’s Subs, Log a Load for Kids, and Walmart/Sam’s Clubs.
“Caring individuals, community groups, businesses and others show how much they care about children by providing generous contributions to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In eastern North Carolina, this generosity enables the Maynard Children’s Hospital, located in Greenville and serving 29 counties, to see beyond obvious treatment and save more lives,” said Spence Cosby, co-chair, ECU Health Foundation. “The care and high-quality treatment received here will continue into the future through this year’s amazing donors.”
The Celebration Broadcast featured guests and sponsors who have contributed during the past year, as well as callers who pledged their support.
Earlier this year, the Music for Miracles Radiothon on Inner Banks Media Stations raised $108,443 during the 26th year of their special event, bringing their total raised to more than $3.8 million. The Inner Banks Media radio stations include: 107.9 WNCT; Talk 96.3 and 103.7; Oldies 94.1 and 102.7; and 94.3 The Game.
The largest donor to this year’s campaign came from a long-time corporate partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Speedway, part of 7-Eleven, Inc., which raised $316,117 in their eighth year of partnership with Maynard Children’s Hospital.
The largest fundraising event for our local Children’s Miracle Network program was held by Jersey Mike’s Subs during their annual Month and Day of Giving. Collectively, the 17 participating stores in eastern North Carolina raised $141,499.
Long time CMN supporter, Log a Load for Kids held their 26th annual sporting clays shoot on May 5-6 and raised $120,000. These funds came from sponsorships, including title sponsors, Colony Tire and Pinnacle Trailer Sales, and had over 600 participants.
Other major donors and their gifts included Walmart/Sam’s Clubs with $117,852; Panda Express with $47,185; Dance Arts Theater with $43,586; Ace Hardware with $35,153; Extra Life with $21,306; and Publix with $20,295.
Other campaign contributors were Dairy Queen with $11,577; Barbour Hendrick Honda Greenville and The Electric Cooperatives of Eastern NC both with $10,000; REMAX with $9,195; Ollie’s with $7,503; Pepsi/Minges Bottling Group; Eastern Radiologists, Inc.; and Harris, Creech, Ward and Blackerby, P.A. each contributed $5,000.
Additional gifts were from: American Builders with $4,000; Miller and Friends Lemonade Stand with $3,649; Phi Mu Chapter of ECU with $3,435; Care-O-World Enrichment Learning Center with $2,712; and Grady White Boats with $2,500; Equipment Plus and Central Heating and Air Conditioning with $2,000; IHOP with $1,583; brothers, Arun and Ajay Ajmera each with $1,500; Aldridge and Southerland; Team Lighting; Ricci Law Firm; Stallings Plumbing, Heating and AC and Coldwell Banker’s Sea Coast each gave $1,000.
The local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program is staffed and supported by the ECU Health Foundation, the non-profit charitable corporation that serves as the custodian for all financial gifts and bequests to ECU Health. The ECU Health Foundation oversees allocation of all donated funds.
Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, communications and donor relations, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected].