How to Help Children’s Hospital Colorado Patients and Medical Staff

COVID-19 health crisis has created urgent needs for donor support

AURORA, CO. (March 25, 2020) – As the region’s only nonprofit pediatric hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) is on the front lines of responding to COVID-19. Children’s Colorado is taking every precaution to protect the patients in our care and safeguard our medical staff for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This far-reaching health crisis has created several urgent needs at Children’s Colorado as the hospital works to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, while supporting our patients, families and caregivers.

“As we navigate this rapidly changing situation, we remain certain of three things: kids and families are unbelievably resilient, our caregivers are extraordinarily brave and our supporters are incredibly generous,” said Jennifer Roe Darling, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. “Today, we call on the community to help us continue the lifesaving work being performed at Children’s Colorado during a time when the nation needs more from health care experts than ever before.”

3 Ways to Help Children’s Hospital Colorado During the COVID-19 Crisis:

• Donate to the Children’s Fund: By giving a gift to the Children’s Fund, community members provide critical support to the areas of greatest need during this unprecedented public health challenge. Donations to the Children’s Fund give Children’s Colorado the flexibility to address the greatest needs of the hospital’s patients, families and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. These funds will be immediately directed to where hospital leaders determine they can do the most good, whether that’s masks and protective equipment for caregivers, funding additional staff hours, or providing world-class medical care for children whose injuries and illnesses cannot wait. To make a gift to the Children’s Fund visit childrenscoloradofoundation.org/donate.
  
• Make a Gift to the Caregiver Emergency Relief Fund: Children’s Colorado caregivers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing round-the-clock care for patients who depend on us every day to treat their illnesses and injuries. Now, more than ever, the safety and well-being of the Children’s Colorado health care team is a top priority. Our providers need the support and resources to navigate both daily patient care and the added challenges of the coronavirus outbreak. To address the unique hardships faced by our caregivers, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation has established the Caregiver Emergency Relief Fund.  Donations to this fund will be used to support immediate caregiver needs related to the pandemic, including personal protective equipment, physical and mental health resiliency, childcare subsidies and other critical needs. Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation Trustee Betsy Searle and her family have joined forces with an anonymous donor to support the dedicated caregivers of Children’s Colorado. Together, these generous donors will match every gift made to the Caregiver Emergency Relief Fund, up to a total of $200,000. To make a gift to the Caregiver Emergency Relief Fund, visit childrenscoloradofoundation.org/caregiverrelief.
  
• Donate Blood and Plasma at the Children’s Colorado Blood Donor Center: Children’s Colorado is asking the community to help us ensure we can continue to meet the transfusion needs of our patients. If you’re able to donate blood or platelets, please call 720-777-5398 to be screened over the phone and to schedule an appointment. Keeping our donors safe is our top priority. We are proactively taking precautions to prevent exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19) such as: disinfecting all shared surfaces in between donors, screening all donors and technicians, spacing chairs 6 feet apart and providing food sealed in individual packages. For more information, visit childrenscolorado.org/giveblood.

NOTE FOR MEDIA: Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation President and CEO Jennifer Roe Darling, who is quoted in this press release, is available to discuss these urgent philanthropic needs in support of the hospital’s critical mission. Due to heightened planning, Children’s Hospital Colorado does not have experts available for interviews currently. Thank you for sharing these opportunities with your audience.

Media Contact:
Erin Bodine, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
Cell: 720-470-2965
Email: ebodine@childrenscoloradofoundation.org