View on Web >>
[link removed]

Children's Hospital Los Angeles
[link removed]

------------------------------------------------------

One brave boy's journey to recovery.

Giving Tuesday
[link removed]

Dear John,

Every day when I come to work at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, I marvel at the strength and resilience of our young patients and their families. It's an honor to witness-everyone who works here can feel it.

These children are the reason I do what I do, and they're the reason our community includes nurses, doctors, staff and supporters from all walks of life and from all over the world.

This time of year especially, when the holidays are just around the corner, I'm reminded of how fortunate we are to have the support of such a generous and caring community. So I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to a really special child: Pierce.

Before he was even 2 years old, Pierce's parents checked him into a local hospital near their home. They thought he had a viral infection, but within hours their toddler was transported to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where testing confirmed that Pierce had leukemia. Even with a diagnosis, the family couldn't have known that he would spend his second birthday in the hospital-and spend a total of 115 days on the fourth floor of CHLA's west wing.

"We learned early on to lean on the nurses, physicians and Child Life specialists, and on everything that makes CHLA so incredible. They helped us figure out what it means to be the parents of a cancer kid, and helped me be the mom I wanted to be during that time."-Aubrey, Pierce's mom

The doctors on Pierce's care team quickly realized he needed a bone marrow transplant. While the CHLA Bone Marrow Transplant team scoured donor registries looking for a match, Pierce started treatment. He received blood transfusions and platelet transfusions and went under anesthesia 15 times.

While Pierce was in the hospital, a movement was growing. His parents shared his story and their search for a bone marrow donor match with the world, and thousands of new potential donors started signing up. The hashtag #FiercePierce went viral.

And then, on Pierce's 86th day at CHLA, the hospital found a donor. Within just a couple of days, Pierce received his bone marrow transplant. Recovery was hard. He battled rashes and fevers as his immune system rebuilt itself around the new donor cells-but the transplant took.

"As a parent, you don't want to need a children's hospital. But we feel blessed that Pierce was diagnosed and treated at CHLA. It means he had the very best treatment from day one."-Aubrey, Pierce's mom

Today, Pierce is 8 years old and officially cancer-free. He's one of the bravest kids I've met, and everyone who works at CHLA will be forever grateful for what he and his family did to grow the ranks of the bone marrow donor registry, making it that much easier for the next patient to find a match.

Every child we care for at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is special. And so is every person who supports the hospital, its nurses, doctors and team members. No matter who you are or where you're from, we couldn't do any of this without you. If you're with me, let's keep making sure that every kid who comes through our doors receives the best care possible.

Happy holidays to you and yours,

Paul S. Viviano
President and Chief Executive Officer
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

P.S. Our Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign for 2023 has already begun, so if you're as ready to make a difference for sick and injured kids as I am, your donation will already be MATCHED if you give today.

[link removed]

------------------------------------------------------

© 2023 Children's Hospital Los Angeles
4650 Sunset Blvd., #29, Los Angeles, CA 90027
800-817-4543 | [email protected]
Manage Email Preferences or Unsubscribe: [link removed]