Listeners from all over the East phoned in their support for children and raised $121,890 during the 29th annual Music for Miracles Radiothon on 107.9 WNCT and all Inner Banks Media stations. Since its inception in 1998, the radiothon has now raised over $4.1 million, directly enhancing James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital’s programs and services.
“Each year, I am touched by the extraordinary generosity of this community,” said Elise Ironmonger, Director of Programs for ECU Health Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network of Greenville. “Their steadfast dedication to improving health care for children across eastern North Carolina continues to inspire me. I’m also so grateful to the families who bravely share their stories — these children truly are miracles. It’s an honor to highlight the exceptional care they’ve received at Maynard Children’s Hospital.”
This year’s radiothon aired on all Inner Banks Media radio stations on March 26 and 27. In addition to 107.9, participating stations included: Talk 96.3 and 103.7; Oldies 94.1 and 102.7; and 94.3 The Game.
All funds raised through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) events like the radiothon are allocated entirely to supporting programs and services at Maynard Children’s Hospital. These contributions help procure life-saving medical equipment, enhance educational opportunities for patients and staff, provide comforting resources for children and develop new, state-of-the-art facilities. This year’s radiothon included a $20,000 match from Craig Goess and Greenville Toyota.
“For 29 years now, the generosity of our listeners has allowed us to raise funds for this great hospital,” said Henry Hinton, president, Inner Banks Media. “I’m so appreciative to all who tuned in and offered their support to the sick and injured children of eastern North Carolina. This year’s successful radiothon is something I am really proud of.”
Children’s Miracle Network is a fundraising program of the ECU Health Foundation. Maynard Children’s Hospital in Greenville serves children and their families living throughout a 29-county region in eastern North Carolina. For those who missed the radiothon but would still like to contribute, donations can be made at www.GiveToCMN.com.
Pirates vs. Cancer, a student‑driven initiative dedicated to supporting children and families facing cancer, is set to host its annual spring fundraising event on April 10 at the ECU Health Sciences Campus. Led by medical, dental and allied health students, Pirates vs. Cancer brings together the entire health sciences community for a day of giving, celebration and solidarity with pediatric patients.
One hundred percent of the funds raised by Pirates vs. Cancer is donated to ECU Health Foundation to benefit programs at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center. Some of those programs have included camps and other programs specifically designed to provide pediatric patients with childhood experiences.
Among the most tangible examples of the group’s efforts is on the Maynard Children’s Hospital’s second floor. In 2024, Pirates vs. Cancer funds were designated to renovate a playroom and fill it with toys, games, crafts and technology that help patients take their mind off procedures and just be kids.
“We were able to almost double the size of this playroom for these kids and add so many more interactive features,” said Elise Ironmonger, director of programs at the ECU Health Foundation. “It’s really a place of respite for them when they are facing treatment for months, weeks at a time.”
Pirates Vs. Cancer was founded by Brody School of Medicine students in 2017 and has raised over $176,000 in the past 10 years. Leadership and participants are composed of students, faculty and staff from the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences and the Undergraduate campus. Together, they raise funds that directly impact their community.
To support Pirates Vs. Cancer, please click here.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (March 10, 2026) — A transformational $10 million gift from David and Laura Brody of Raleigh, and Hyman and Stacy Brody of Greenville, will support and expand the Brody Scholars Program, East Carolina University and ECU Health Foundation announced today.
The university will honor the family and their steadfast ties to the institution and region with the naming of the new 195,000-square-foot Brody Center for Medical Education when it opens for the 2027-28 academic year. Approved by the ECU Board of Trustees on Feb. 13, the naming recognizes a decades-long philanthropic relationship between the family and the university to strengthen ECU’s mission.
The gift directly strengthens the Brody Scholars Program and the Brody School of Medicine’s mission to train physicians to serve North Carolina, especially in rural and underserved communities.
“The Brody family has once again demonstrated its extraordinary commitment to the mission and success of East Carolina University,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “For nearly 50 years, our university has answered the call to train high quality physicians who will meet the health care needs of our rural communities. The state of North Carolina has put its trust in us to continue that success. I am profoundly appreciative of the Brody family’s unwavering generosity and steadfast commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of our region.”
“This gift builds upon the significant funding put forward by the North Carolina General Assembly and the UNC System Board of Governors to advance the future of health care in our state,” cousins Hyman Brody and David Brody said, before thanking those elected and appointed leaders as well as Rogers, deans of the school Drs. Michael Waldrum and Jason Higginson, and others whose work has made the new building a reality.
Next year, the medical school marks 50 years since the first four-year medical school class arrived on campus. In 1999, the ECU Board of Trustees named the school, the Brody School of Medicine ¾ the first time at the university a school had been named for a donor ¾ in recognition of the family’s decades of significant contribution.
“Our family’s connection to East Carolina University dates to 1947 when (former Chancellor) Dr. Leo Jenkins’ friendship with my father, Morris, and my uncles, Sammy and Leo, planted seeds that grew into a shared belief in this university’s mission,” Hyman Brody said. “That relationship led to our family’s initial support of the School of Medicine — a commitment rooted not only in philanthropy but stewardship and partnership.”
Along with improving health outcomes in the region, the Brody family has funded arguably the premier medical school scholarship in North Carolina — the Brody Scholars program. It provides full tuition, fees and enrichment opportunities for four years of medical education. The Brody family’s latest contribution will expand the Brody Scholars Program. Today, there are 12 Brody Scholars at the Brody School of Medicine and 147 alumni of the Brody Scholars Program.
“This contribution to the Center for Medical Education is especially meaningful to Laura and me because it expands the Brody Scholars Program so more students can graduate medical school with little or no debt and focus on what matters most: caring for patients,” said David Brody. “Investing in those students is, to us, exactly what doing good looks like.”
The family’s gift will be added to an existing endowment dedicated solely to supporting the Brody Scholars Program, according to Dr. Scott Senatore, chief philanthropy officer with the ECU Health Foundation. The investment ensures long-term sustainability for the scholarship and signals the importance of philanthropy in advancing medical education, supporting community health and inspiring future generosity. The Brody family’s cumulative giving to ECU now totals more than $35 million. The new Brody Center for Medical Education will serve as one of ECU’s most advanced instructional facilities, enabling the medical school to expand its class size to 120 students while offering state-of-the-art simulation spaces, learning studios, a new anatomy lab, student collaboration spaces and outdoor gathering areas. Construction of the new $265 million facility is funded by the state of North Carolina.
“The Brody School of Medicine was founded to meet the health care needs of our state, and this gift advances that mission in profound ways,” said Waldrum, who along with his academic role, is also CEO of ECU Health. “Brody Scholars become the kind of physicians every community needs — compassionate, skilled and committed to service. This investment ensures that more of those physicians will stay in North Carolina, where their impact is immeasurable. It is deeply gratifying to know that the Brody name will accompany this new state-of-the-art facility.”
The Brody School of Medicine is nationally recognized for graduating physicians who choose primary care specialties and practice in rural communities historically underserved by medicine. The new naming gift reinforces ECU as a leader in this mission and encourages additional philanthropic investment in the university’s medical education and health sciences enterprise.
Click here to learn more about the Brody Center for Medical Education.
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ECU Health, James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center and EastCare announced the arrival of North Carolina’s first medical transport helicopter dedicated solely to pediatric patients.
The helicopter carries specialized neonatal and pediatric equipment—including ventilators designed for the smallest patients—and features a spacious, child friendly interior. The environment allows clinical teams to deliver both intensive medical treatment and developmentally supportive care in a space where children can feel safe and comforted. Much of the equipment in the aircraft was funded by generous donors through the ECU Health Foundation.
For more information on how you can support EastCare and Children’s Transport, please contact Rhonda James.
Across ECU Health Medical Center and the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital, three dogs named Clive, Erving and Sam are leaving pawprints in the heart of patients, their families and team members alike. Whether in rehabilitation or pediatrics, these four-legged friends bring joy, motivation and emotional support to patients and their families.
Sam’s arrival was the result of nearly eight years of advocacy and planning by Child Life specialists Ashton Ayers and Chelse Smith, along with colleagues Jaymi Mendoza and Christy Denius. The ECU Health Foundation provided the funding to bring Sam on board. After years of research and collaboration with the ECU Health Foundation, funding was secured and Sam officially joined the team in November 2023. Sam was matched with handlers Ayers and Smith after they were vetted through the organization and the hospital.
Sam now supports pediatric patients, including those in the ICU, offering comfort during procedures, emotional support during difficult moments and motivation for children facing medical challenges.
Sam is the first full-time facility dog at ECU Health. Her care is fully-funded through donations to the Maynard Canine Crew program. With donor support, Sam helps our child life specialists address children’s unique needs, offering emotional support and joy during challenging medical journeys.
Support Maynard Canine Crew here.
The James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center was filled with smiles and excitement as CAPTRUST employees, in partnership with the ECU Health Foundation, arrived with bright green boxes packed with fun. These Cheeriodicals care packages were filled with age-appropriate toys, crafts and comfort items, and were hand-delivered to pediatric patients and their families to brighten their hospital stay.
The impact of the delivery extended far beyond the contents of each box. For the CAPTRUST and Cheeriodicals teams, it was an affirmation of the difference collaboration and giving back can make.
“The delivery was more than just a gift,” said Scott Senatore, chief philanthropy officer, ECU Health Foundation. “It was a moment of true joy for children and families navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives, and for two ECU alumni, it was a chance to give back to the community that helped shape them. ECU Health is so grateful to CAPTRUST and Cheeriodicals for their compassion and care for the patients and families we serve.”
East Carolina University (ECU) Baseball player Parker Byrd has stepped up to the plate to lead Homers That Help, a charity initiative supporting families at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center. Taking over from former player Carter Cunningham, Byrd has embraced the opportunity to expand the program’s impact and continue its mission of giving back.
Managed by ECU Health Foundation, the funds raised through Homers That Help have had a direct impact on families, covering essential costs like gas and food gift cards to ease their hospital stays. Funds also will be going to other needs of Maynard Children’s Hospital to improve care and the hospital experience for pediatric patients and their families.
To date, Homers That Help has raised over $75,000. To learn more about Homers That Help or to give, please visit give.ecuhealthfoundation.org
East Carolina University (ECU) Baseball player Parker Byrd has stepped up to the plate to lead Homers That Help, a charity initiative supporting families at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center. Taking over from former player Carter Cunningham, Byrd has embraced the opportunity to expand the program’s impact and continue its mission of giving back.
The idea for Homers That Help was born after Cunningham participated in a career shadowing experience at ECU Health Medical Center in November 2023. Walking through Maynard Children’s Hospital, he felt a deep calling to do something meaningful for the young patients and their families.
Managed by ECU Health Foundation, the funds raised through Homers That Help have had a direct impact on families, covering essential costs like gas and food gift cards to ease their hospital stays. Funds also will be going to other needs of Maynard Children’s Hospital to improve care and the hospital experience for pediatric patients and their families.
To date, Homers That Help has raised over $75,000. To learn more about Homers That Help or to give, please visit give.ecuhealthfoundation.org
Blue and silver Pinwheels for Prevention adorned yards, clinics, daycares and other businesses in Greenville, eastern North Carolina and across the country throughout National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The pinwheels, meant to represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness, are a signature display during the month-long campaign to raise awareness around a difficult and important topic.
For team members and supporters at ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University’s Tender Evaluation, Diagnosis and Intervention for a Better Abuse Response (TEDI BEAR) and Mt. Olive Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), the tireless effort to prevent child abuse in eastern North Carolina is a year-round endeavor.
On Wednesday, April 16, ECU Health’s EastCare celebrated a remarkable milestone: 40 years of dedicated service to the communities of eastern North Carolina. Founded in 1985, the program has grown from a single helicopter operation to a comprehensive medical transport service, offering both ground and air transportation.
EastCare transports patients directly from the scene of an emergency or transfers them from regional hospitals to ECU Health Medical Center, ensuring that critically ill and injured patients receive timely and advanced medical care.
Today, the program operates seven aircraft, with five in use and two back-ups. With eight bases within the region — both ground and air — and 28 ambulances, coverage has expanded to include all of eastern North Carolina as well as parts of South Carolina and Virginia.
You can support the vital services EastCare provides by giving here.