For 37 years, Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hershey has raised funds to support Penn State Children’s Hospital by providing life-saving equipment, family-centered programs and transformative research.
To help create a lifelong impact for patients and families at Penn State Children’s Hospital, CMN has established three endowments.
Pediatric Research
This endowment will support pilot projects for researchers to prove theory and concept before applying to larger external funding sources. These research projects include:
*Innovations like 3D printing of hearts to prepare surgeons for complex cases
*A first-of-its-kind tool to determine whether breastfed newborns lose too much weight during their first few days after birth
*Evaluating post traumatic stress in parents who had a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Patient Assistance
This endowment helps to offset the cost of prescription medication, durable medical equipment as well as provide meal and transportation vouchers to ease the financial burden of a child’s medical diagnosis.
2-year-old Reaghan needed surgery to fix hip dysplasia. Her family received a free, specialized car seat so she could travel safely with her Spica hip cast.
Ayden was born at 27 weeks and spent months in the hospital. Ayden's dad received gas vouchers so he could keep his job in Erie and still visit Ayden in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit every few days.
Lucia was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. CMN's support of the patient assistance fund provided her family with financial resources for the Dexcom G6 Kit, which Lucia needs to manage her illness every day.
Medical Student Equity Scholarship
This endowment supports aspiring physicians of diverse backgrounds hoping to pursue a career in pediatrics.
Medical education is costly, and although this is a burden for students from every background, those who come from groups historically underrepresented in higher education and medicine can face additional challenges.
Scholarships alone can’t erase the systemic injustice that some students face, but it’s an important step in helping us build a more inclusive culture,” says Lynette Chappell-Williams, JD, vice president and chief diversity officer at Penn State Health. “Our research shows that cost is one of the top reasons students from these groups choose not to come here, and even just a few thousand dollars can make a great difference in a student’s decision.”
