Your Impact through the Children’s Fund

For months, Hunter had been battling unexplained vomiting, severe weight loss and constant fatigue. Once a high-energy kid, he was suddenly sleeping all the time — a red flag for his parents, Emily and Dave. “He has always been a go-go-go kid,” Emily says. “When he wanted to sleep all the time, we knew something was seriously wrong.” 

Hunter spent much of the year in and out of the hospital, losing nearly 80 pounds and struggling to keep food in his system. After multiple endoscopies, MRIs and CT scans, Hunter was finally diagnosed with a rare form of Crohn’s disease. It was the answer that began a new phase in his care. ​
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His disease was complex, and the team at Children’s Colorado planned his care with a compassionate, multidisciplinary approach. “They explained everything to Hunter in a way he could understand,” Dave says. “They treated him like a person, not just a patient.” Hunter’s care is now managed through the Digestive Health Institute (DHI) and the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD), where he receives regular infusions and ongoing monitoring.
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Despite the physical toll of his condition, Hunter remained hopeful and determined. He returned to school, joined the robotics team, and even tried out for basketball — a sport he had to pause due to a shoulder fracture caused by malnourishment. Through it all, he continued to be positive, inspiring everyone around him. 

One bright spot during his stays at Children’s Colorado was the Patricia Crown Family T(w)een Zone, a donor-supported space where kids ages 10 years and older can play, connect, and just be themselves. For Hunter, it was more than a distraction — it was a place where he could feel normal again. “It got me up and moving,” he says. “Every time I come back to the hospital, I go there for hours.” 

Hunter now dreams of becoming a nurse, inspired by caregivers who make him laugh and help him feel safe while at the hospital. He also hopes to volunteer in the T(w)een Zone one day, giving back to the place that helped him heal.

This achievement reflects a deep commitment to discoveries that improve children’s health. The Colorado Child Health Research Institute, a partnership between the University of Colorado Anschutz and Children’s Colorado, strengthens this work by integrating scientific discovery with clinical expertise, helping new ideas move from the laboratory to patient care.

Breakthroughs in child health rely on stable funding that allow scientists to pursue bold ideas, develop new therapies and bring discoveries into clinical practice. Philanthropic support helps fill gaps in federal funding and accelerates promising research by both seasoned and early-career investigators.

For example, to date in 2026, donors have funded six Pilot Awards, providing investigators with financial support to move their innovative ideas forward. Philanthropy is also fueling two Research and Innovation Scholar Awards (RISAs), which help new investigators — faculty members in the first five years of their careers — apply their research training.

Catalytic investments like these allow researchers to collect the data needed to test their hypotheses, apply for larger grants and then translate their work from theory to lab testing, from clinical trial to FDA approval and, ultimately, to standard of care, helping to launch the careers of promising physician-scientists and advancing science through medical breakthroughs, new clinical innovations, more effective treatments and potential cures for childhood disease.

These philanthropy-funded awards also deliver a strong return on investment: nearly 60% of researchers who received RISAs between 2011 and 2025 went on to secure NIH funding, so, for every $1 invested in a RISA, they received $4.30 in NIH funding, a 4:1 return.

*According to data compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

Initially embedded within the Pediatric Mental Health Institute, the program expanded in 2006 to offer dedicated art therapy across a variety of medical units. In 2021, PCAT significantly broadened therapeutic services, adding support for patients in the NICU, PICU, Rehabilitation Unit, Heart Institute, Med/Psych Unit and other clinical areas. 

PCAT therapists deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed and client-centered care, helping children manage pain, build coping skills, foster identity, and express emotions through music, art, drama and movement. Services are now offered at the North Campus Partial Hospitalization Program, Telstar in Colorado Springs and the KidStreet Program at the Child Health Pavilion. 

“Looking ahead, our vision is bold: to continue expanding access, innovating, training the next generation of creative arts therapists and advancing research that will help set new standards for our field,” says Michele Turek, LPC, ATR-BC, PCAT Program Manager.

As both an annual donor and a planned gift donor, Jessica has chosen to ensure future children and families receive the same lifesaving care she did. Her estate gift supports the Children’s Fund, providing flexible resources where they are needed most.

Jessica, along with more than 1,000 other generous planned gift donors, are recognized as members of our Tammen Society. The Tammen Society is named for Harry and Agnes Reid Tammen, who were among the hospital’s earliest and most important philanthropic supporters. Harry Tammen gave the hospital its early motto, “For a Child’s Sake,” which continues to guide us today. In 1924, the Tammens made the first planned gift to Children’s Colorado, using much of their wealth to establish a trust that helped provide care for children whose families could not afford to pay for medical treatment. 

“Because of all the efforts of the staff at Children’s Colorado, I am alive today. I always told myself that if one day I got to a point in life where I could, I would give back to others. I’m honored to donate to Children’s Colorado, so it can continue supporting other families like it did mine,” said Jessica.