Connection
For 20 years, Seattle Children’s Research Institute has turned scientific insight into lifesaving impact. We are celebrating two decades of research-driven breakthroughs in pediatric cancer, neurosciences and more. Explore how our community’s generous donor support has shaped this journey and brought hope to children everywhere. Thanks to you, we are 20 years in and already light years ahead.
Pediatric research has always been at the heart of Seattle Children’s. From our earliest days, discovery has been inseparable from care. But 20 years ago, with the establishment of Seattle Children’s Research Institute, we made a bold commitment to accelerate and expand our ability to turn scientific insight into lifesaving impact for children everywhere.
This special edition celebrates the 20th anniversary of Seattle Children’s Research Institute. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, we are filled with gratitude, pride and a renewed sense of urgency for what lies ahead.
Over the past two decades, our researchers have helped unlock breakthroughs in pediatric cancer, infectious diseases, immunology, neurosciences and more. We have advanced gene therapies, expanded access to clinical trials and built one of the nation’s leading pediatric research institutes.
None of this would have been possible without our community. Your generous investments power discovery, enable bold ideas and ensure that promising research can move forward quickly. You haven’t just supported this work; you have shaped it, championed it and brought it to life.
As we celebrate this anniversary, we are also looking forward to the future. Our ambitions are clear: to lead the nation in pediatric care and discovery and to ensure that children everywhere can benefit from the breakthroughs happening at Seattle Children’s.
Our next era of research will demand even more — greater collaboration, faster translation from the lab to the patient’s bedside and a deepened commitment to tackling the most complex challenges in child health. We are inspired by what we have accomplished together so far, and even more energized by what we know is still possible.
We are deeply grateful to partner with you on this journey.
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Dondi Cupp, CFRE Senior Vice President |
Vittorio Gallo, MD Senior Vice President |
Your Giving Goes the Distance
Your giving makes you a part of every discovery made, every gesture of hope and every cure found for the children who depend on us.
How a Powerhouse Kid Became Cancer-Free
When 9-year-old competitive gymnast Aria began losing her signature moves to a mysterious side pain, her parents’ instincts led them to Seattle Children’s and a diagnosis that changed everything. Amid a grueling battle with neuroblastoma, Aria kept her spirits high by playing Mario Kart, hosting hospital karaoke with her nurses and texting her friends to play Roblox. Now she is joyfully cancer-free and busy playing with her beloved dog Jax.
Read about Aria's journey and see how your support advances lifesaving research for kids like her.
Two Decades of Discovery
Building upon decades of clinical discovery, Seattle Children’s Research Institute was established in 2006 to accelerate a daring premise: Our work must go beyond treating childhood illness to ultimately eliminating it. As we celebrate the research institute’s 20th anniversary, we reflect on a journey that transformed a local research initiative into a global powerhouse for pediatric health.
From the launch of Run of Hope in 2009 to the first CAR T-cell clinical trial in the US for kids with lupus in 2024, read about our research milestones.
Rapid Genomic Testing Means the Difference Between Life and Loss
When Teddy was born, his mom Emily, thought she had done everything right. “He’s our fourth child and we figured we had seen it all,” she remembers, describing the whirlwind joy that quickly turned to worry as her newborn slept too much, didn’t smile and struggled to engage. A routine ophthalmology visit revealed that Teddy was unable to see, leading to an urgent CT scan, unexpected blood work and an unfolding diagnosis that would test every ounce of the family’s courage.
See how donor support helped Teddy get the urgent testing he needed.
On the Scene
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“Two decades ago I joined Dr. Bruder Stapleton to present research to Seattle Children’s Board of Trustees, who decided that if we pursued pediatric research, we should be the best. Donors and our community came together to invest and, with their support, the research institute took off.”
— Bonnie Ramsey, MD, Seattle Children's Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics; Associate Director, Pediatric Clinical Research Center
“We must cure cancer without sacrificing long-term cardiac health, and research is guiding the way. Seattle Children’s is a beacon of hope for families, and I’m excited for the transformative research ahead that will deliver the most effective therapies with the least toxicity.”
— Kasey Joanne Leger, MD, Seattle Children's Medical Director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma program
Thank you for helping every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible – today, tomorrow and always.
