Dianna and Timothy Murphy of San Ramon believe in paying it forward. Thankful that their 18-year-old son, Kevin, is alive today because of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, they now generously support the hospital as members of the Children’s Circle of Care.
“We understand the importance of life-saving medical care and the need for continued research and education,” Dianna explains. “We give to the Lucile Packard Children’s Fund to ensure this hospital can continue providing extraordinary care to kids in need.”
It was just a few years ago that Kevin was one of those children receiving extraordinary care.
Parents’ intuition told Dianna and Timothy that Kevin, then 12, needed help when his flu-like symptoms weren’t improving. After blood tests and transfers to multiple facilities, they arrived at our hospital, where doctors delivered an unexpected diagnosis: Kevin had dilated cardiomyopathy. His heart had grown two-and-a-half sizes larger than normal and was failing, causing other organs, including his liver, to struggle as well. The only solution was a heart transplant. Dianna and Timothy were devastated, but relied on the expertise of Kevin’s caregivers.
During the next several weeks, the medical team worked tirelessly to get Kevin healthy enough for his procedure.
When a donor heart became available, a surgical team, along with Dianna and Timothy, wheeled Kevin through the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to the sound of cheers and applause. The five-and-a-half hour transplant surgery was a success. “When we were able to finally see Kevin after surgery, we were amazed at how good he looked already!” Dianna recalls.
Today, Kevin runs track and field for his high school and even won a number of gold medals at the Transplant Games of America. And the Murphy family gives back to the hospital community that supported them when they needed it most. In addition to participating in the Children’s Circle of Care through financial gifts, Dianna serves as a parent mentor at our hospital, providing support to other families facing similar medical challenges and ensuring that they have an active role in their child’s care.
“Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is very special,” Dianna says. “Not just because of the new state-of-the-art hospital expansion, but because of the people who work within that hospital. Kevin wasn’t the hospital’s first heart transplant, and sadly, he will not be their last. But the next expansion, along with continued research and education, will provide extraordinary care for future patients in need.”
The Children’s Circle of Care recognizes donors who give $10,000 or more annually.
