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Dear John,
One of the most challenging parts of what we do at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is meeting people when they're at their lowest. But that's also what makes us fight the hardest to make their dreams come true.
Families come to us in their darkest moments—when babies fall mysteriously ill, when one medical professional after another has run out of answers, when all hope seems lost—and our teams of experts work around the clock to find a solution.
For Raquel and Travis, their deepest wish was a new heart for their 2-year-old son, Elliott. He had always been a happy, active child. But suddenly, when he was 20 months old, Elliott woke up very sick. Emergency-room visits confirmed: Elliott was in heart failure.
We're looking for 200 people to answer a critical call by midnight tomorrow: Make a tax-deductible gift of $10 or more that goes twice as far to help families that have run out of answers ... and hope. Your gift to the Children's Fund will be DOUBLED by a generous match from Credit Unions for Kids, up to $675,000.
For three months, Raquel and Travis watched as their tiny child battled a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy. With Elliott hooked up to huge machines that kept his blood pumping, together they waited for a heart transplant.
On Aug. 21, 2017, the entire country watched the sky as a total solar eclipse was visible for the first time in a century. Raquel peered through her eclipse glasses that day and made a silent wish: "I want Elliott to receive his donor heart today." Hours later, Elliott's nurse excitedly announced a heart was on its way. It felt like magic.
At CHLA, our doctors, researchers, nurses and other team members stand by our patient families every step of the way: from frightening diagnosis, to endless waiting, to playful distractions, to overwhelming joy.
Right now, we're looking for 200 donors to make a gift to the Children's Fund that will be DOUBLED to help CHLA be there for families like Raquel, Travis and Elliott. Will you be one of them?
After a few setbacks, Elliott didn't just get a new heart—he got a new life. Today, his gregarious smile and excitement for the world shine through. He's back to his energetic, happy self. And Raquel and Travis thank CHLA's doctors, nurses, surgeons, Child Life specialists and the entire Heart Institute team for that.
Today, you can help make more stories like Elliott's possible with your gift.
Please give as generously as you can. Right now, every $1 becomes $2 ... every $100 becomes $200 ... and every $1,000 becomes $2,000 when you give before midnight tomorrow, thanks to Credit Unions for Kids. Please make your gift now.
Thank you for helping turn our patients' wishes into reality. We are so grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
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Alexandra Carter, MBA, CFRE
Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
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