First Fellow in Pediatric Epilepsy Earns National Award
In 2015, longtime donor Judi Rees created an endowed fellowship in pediatric epilepsy in honor of her granddaughter Maggie. The endowment enables Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the Stanford School of Medicine to train the next generation of pediatric specialists.
One such young investigator is Fiona Baumer, MD, who came to Stanford in 2015 for epilepsy training as the first Maggie Adalyn Otto Endowed Fellow for Pediatric Epilepsy. Baumer then joined the Stanford neurology faculty in 2016.
Recently, Baumer received the prestigious Philip R. Dodge Young Investigator Award from the Child Neurology Society, which is presented annually to one accomplished early-stage investigator.
“Congratulations to Dr. Baumer!” says Judi. “I am thrilled to see these young researchers flourishing and contributing to epilepsy research nationwide.”
Judi has further supported training by launching the Maggie Adalyn Otto Endowed Fellow in Pediatric Palliative Care, in memory of Maggie. Endowed fellowships, like Judi’s, are integral to our hospital, educating early-stage researchers so that they can solve pressing issues related to child health.
Thank you, Judi, for supporting our award-winning faculty at Stanford!
A Grateful Mom Gives Back to Support NICU Nurses
Nurses are at the heart of any neonatal intensive care unit. Laurel Lagenaur (above right) saw this firsthand when she developed preeclampsia at 28 weeks into her pregnancy and delivered her son, Alex, 6 1/2 weeks early at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.
“I felt like the care that he received from the NICU was stellar,” Laurel says. “When you have a 3-pound infant, you’re naturally concerned. The nurses were just so calming and caring.”
When Laurel took her son home, he weighed just 3 pounds, 11 ounces. Today, Alex is 27 years old and preparing to defend his PhD thesis at Harvard University. He is an ultrarunner, having completed the Leadville 100, and multiple marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times.
“Clearly, he got a healthy start from the NICU,” laughs Laurel.
Over the years, Laurel has gone above and beyond to express her gratitude. “I’m a big believer in continuing education,” says Laurel. She makes annual donations from a donor-advised fund to support professional development for NICU nurses at Packard Children’s Hospital. Laurel’s gifts help train nurses to best utilize advancements that improve care for our hospital’s most vulnerable patients.
In addition, Laurel enjoys hosting events to recognize nurses for their valuable contributions. Most recently, she held a dinner for our hospital’s NICU nurses at The BottleShop in Redwood City. “They really enjoyed it,” she says. “They clearly enjoyed each other’s company and work well together.”
Thank you, Laurel, for your commitment to supporting our hospital’s NICU nurses!
Granting Wishes and Bringing Joy to Children in the Hospital
Congratulations to Little Wishes for raising $250,000 on their community fundraising page! Little Wishes created their fundraising page in 2017, and 100% of every dollar that’s donated goes to granting the wishes of children at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
“Little Wishes has granted so many amazing wishes at Packard Children’s, including celebrating important milestones spent in the hospital such as birthdays, graduations, and end of treatment, and even providing much needed comfort during end of life,” says cofounder Laura Euphrat, RN, BSN.
One child at our hospital, Pierce (above), was nearing the end of his six months of inpatient treatment and told his mom, “I want to be strong for when I get out of the hospital.” He requested a stationary bike that he could use in the hospital to build his strength. “We saw hope come into his eyes when he got his wish,” his mom, Meredith, recalls. “He built up his strength, rang the bell, and celebrated his end of treatment.”
Thank you to Little Wishes for lifting children’s spirits while in the hospital, and to everyone who has contributed to their fundraiser.
Interested in supporting patients by granting their wishes? Donate to the Little Wishes fundraising page at LPFCH.org/LittleWishes.
Bringing Innovation to Kids and Expectant Moms
Each year, the FDA approves far fewer health technologies for use in children than adults. This disparity extends to pregnant moms as well. As a result, doctors don’t have access to the latest innovations when caring for their youngest and most vulnerable patients.
We’re thrilled that CobiCure, a nonprofit company that is part of the Advancium Health Network, is addressing this challenge in pediatric and maternal health. Following its mission to reimagine pediatric health care by supporting the development of innovative medical devices, CobiCure has generously funded a MedTech: CobiCure Fellow for Pediatric MedTech Innovation at Impact1. Part of the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign, the Impact1 initiative is focused on advancing the development of health technologies for children and expectant moms.
The CobiCure fellow will perform market research, content design, prototyping, and testing to eventually bring a new medical device or technology to market.
“This fellow will not only improve clinical care for children and moms but will also help us grow the field of pediatric and maternal medical device innovation,” says Janene H. Fuerch, MD, co-director of Impact1 and assistant director of the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship Program.
Thank you, CobiCure, for improving care for children and moms at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and beyond!
Young Crafters Raise Over $1K for Packard Children’s Hospital
Thank you, Amelia Claire, Sana, and Rachel! Last school year, the girls, who attend The Harker School in San Jose, were required to perform a community service project. While brainstorming ideas for their project, they learned that Amelia Claire was born prematurely at 27 weeks and spent 60 days in the NICU at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. They were touched by Amelia Claire’s story and banded together to raise funds for our hospital.
The girls like to craft, so they decided to use their skills to create items to sell, with the proceeds benefiting our hospital. Amelia Claire made bracelets and drew a picture to make her own Valentine’s Day cards. Sana made bracelets and crocheted pink octopus plushies. Rachel made necklaces and earrings and drew pictures that she turned into stickers.
After weeks of preparation, Amelia Claire, Sana, and Rachel sold their items outside The Thrift Box in San Jose, a resale store operated by the San Jose Auxiliary for Children. Next, the girls were overjoyed to learn that Netflix, where Sana’s father works, would double their proceeds, resulting in $1,050 raised for children and families at our nonprofit.
“The volunteers at The Thrift Box are lucky to have witnessed such amazing, promising, and forward-thinking young women share their good works,” says San Jose Auxiliary member Chrisanne Beebe.
Grateful to Couple Who Gave Cuddles and Comfort to Babies
Husband and wife duo Pat Rice and Claire Fitzgerald volunteered for over 20 years as baby cuddlers in the NICU at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Claire brought a gentle touch like a grandmother to the babies she held, and Pat was known for singing soothing Irish tunes.
Claire, 89, passed away in May. Pat, 90, passed away in February 2023. The dedicated couple is fondly remembered by the physicians and nurses in the NICU.
“They were treated as critical members of the care team,” says Maryellen Brady, director of volunteer services at Packard Children’s Hospital. “NICU parents were so grateful that their babies received so much extra love and kindness.”
Claire became a volunteer at Packard Children’s because she was appreciative of the care her son had received when he was hospitalized at just 3 months old at the former Children’s Hospital at Stanford. She started volunteering in patient relations, soon adding baby cuddling to her commitments and persuading her husband to join her.
“They loved working with everyone in the NICU because everyone who walked into the hospital for their job was there to help,” says their granddaughter Ashlyn. Claire and Pat are survived by Claire’s children, Peter, Joan, Brian, Michael, and Dan; 11 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of the Packard Children’s News.
