Connection
Seattle Children's serves the largest geographic area of any children's hospital in the U.S. Our care branches across the Pacific Northwest, bringing lifesaving treatments and hope closer to home for families. See how your gifts ensure every child receives the best care, no matter their family's ZIP Code or ability to pay.
Be the reason. Now more than ever, your generosity matters.
If you’re reading this, thank you.
My name is Erin and, like so many other families, nearly eight years ago I walked through the doors of Seattle Children’s and my life changed forever. My daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, or SMA type 1. When the doctors delivered this news, I was devastated.
What I didn’t know at the time was that if Emma had been born just one year earlier, that conversation would have looked very different. Our doctors explained to us that thanks to groundbreaking new research, there was now a treatment. Before this, the only option would have been for my baby to go into palliative care.
Unfortunately, this treatment came at a notable expense. We had great insurance, but I left my job to care for Emma full time, and even the best insurance doesn’t cover all costs. Like hundreds of thousands of other Seattle Children’s families each year, uncompensated care allowed us to focus on Emma, rather than worrying about how we would afford her care.
Research gave us a treatment to save Emma’s life. Uncompensated care made lifesaving treatment accessible for our family.
In the years since Emma’s diagnosis, I’ve watched her grow into a smart, vibrant human being with so many dreams for the future. As you turn through the pages of this magazine, I want you to know I am forever grateful to each of you who have given to Seattle Children’s and made our lives today possible.
You are the reason kids like Emma don’t have to wait for lifesaving care. You are the reason families like mine have hope.
Erin Walsh
Emma's mom
Your Giving Goes the Distance
Seattle Children’s ensures every child and family has the hope, care and cures they need, without the financial burden. Your giving makes you a part of every life saved, every discovery made and every gesture of hope.
Timing Is Everything
Emma was 8 months old when her pediatrician noticed she was missing developmental milestones and referred her parents, Erin and Mark, to a neurology appointment at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Timing is everything, as the old saying goes. For Emma and her family, the right timing was made possible thanks to the unparalleled generosity of Seattle Children’s donors.
Protecting Hope: A Call to Action for Kids Like Emma
When people think about medical research, they often imagine massive grants, cutting-edge equipment and high-profile breakthroughs. But what many don’t see is the quiet, everyday reality: Dedicated scientists working long hours with limited resources in the search for tomorrow’s cures.
Hear from Dr. Maida Lynn Chen, physician and researcher, about how every gift, no matter the size, can be transformational.
30 Years of Children’s Circle of Care
In the early 1990s, shifts in the healthcare industry changed how hospitals were funded, often leaving reimbursements below the true cost of care and putting essential care for kids at risk. It became essential to find a way to offset these losses.
The Bernals established an endowment in memory of their daughter, Alana.
“This endowment exists because Alana’s story doesn’t end with death,” her parents share. “Her life was never a tragedy; it was a revelation. This endowment honors her courage, the families who walk this same path and the Seattle Children’s staff who became our family.”
Alana’s light continues to shine in every life touched by her legacy. Her story is not defined by sorrow but by a love that echoes through generations, proving that even the smallest heart can leave the most indelible mark on this world.
On the Scene
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“When I was in high school, the family I nannied for offered to help me pay for my schooling. Their generosity changed my life, and this is my way of paying it forward. My gift will support Seattle Children’s workforce members in advancing their careers through education and provide urgent needs for patient families facing extreme financial hardship. It’s an honor to be able to give back in this way.”
— Dr. Ruth McDonald, Seattle Children’s Vice President, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Chief Medical Operations Officer
“We cannot afford to slow down. Not now. Not when so many lives hang in the balance. Cuts to medical research are not just numbers on a spreadsheet — they are stolen chances, unfinished stories, and futures left unrealized. Progress in pediatric research is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. And for families like mine, it is deeply personal.”
— Emily Stenson, mother of 5-year-old Charlie, who is a two-time cancer survivor, urged lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
Thank you for helping every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible – today, tomorrow and always.