Miami Children's Health Foundation Receives Nearly $75 Million In Donations Towards Together For The Children, The Campaign For Miami Children's Hospital

MIAMI, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami Children's Health Foundation announced that it has received nearly 75 million dollars in donations to-date towards Together For The Children, The Campaign For Miami Children's Hospital, which is on track to fundraise $150 million by 2017.

The most recent gift to Miami Children's Health Foundation includes a $7.5 million gift from the Rose Bell Trust. The gift comes from Rose Bell, mother of Charlene, who had a disability and passed away at a young age; and Elaine, who suffered from mental illness. The trust was created to provide for Elaine's care for the duration of her life, with any remaining funds after her passing designated to go Miami Children's Hospital to benefit children with disabilities.  Miami Children's Hospital will create a fund named the "Rose, David, Charlene and Elaine Bell Memorial" in their honor.

"We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous support that we have received from generous donors so that we can continue to provide the world-class care that Miami Children's is known for. This particular gift speaks volumes on how much gift planning can impact an organization. With this donation, Rose Bell has left a legacy that will impact our children for years to come, something that anyone can do with a little bit a planning," said Lucy Morillo, president and CEO of Miami Children's Health Foundation. "As we continue to advance our fundraising efforts, we are able to support our mission to promote the health and well-being of children everywhere."

Additionally, the Live Like Bella™ Foundation recently announced the creation of the Live Like Bella Pavilion at Miami Children's Hospital, which will offer temporary lodging for families of children receiving inpatient care at the hospital. The Live Like Bella Pavilion is an $8.5 million project that will consist of a four-story building on the hospital's main campus and is expected to be completed by mid-2018. This project sprang from a partnership between the Live Like Bella™ Foundation and Miami Children's Health Foundation which was announced last December 2013, under the name of "Bella's Promise" and is working towards ensuring that Miami Children's continues to provide world-class care for children battling cancer in South Florida.

Furthermore, three additional donations were made in support of Miami Children's Hospital Brain Institute, including a $2 million donation from a very grateful parent, Mark Miller, through the Ruth McCormick Tankersley Charitable Trust, which is directed towards a pioneering 5-D imaging center; a $500,000 donation from Richard Bassett and $200,000 from George and Christina Lindemann to help obtain an MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound; and $50,000 from the Lindemanns to support Miami Children's Hospital's newest Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation System. These donations will allow Miami Children's to lead the way with innovative noninvasive technologies to treat pediatric brain disorders safely and more effectively.

To learn more and help support Together for the Children, please visit www.mchf.org/donate or call Miami Children's Health Foundation at 305-666-2889 (toll free: 1.800.987.8701).

About Miami Children's Health Foundation
Miami Children's Health Foundation (MCH Foundation) is a not-for profit 501(c)(3) established to create a world-class pediatric hospital so no child needs to leave South Florida for superior medical care. "Funding World-Class Care" and following the principle that all children deserve state-of-the-art pediatric care with no financial boundaries, MCH Foundation, now a part of the newly-formed Miami Children's Health System, has helped the 289-bed Miami Children's Hospital become a leader in pediatric healthcare with more than 40 subspecialties, the largest pediatric neurology center in the United States, a top provider of cardiology and neonatology services, and a Research Institute conducting in excess of 200 clinical trials and protocols. Currently, MCH Foundation is dedicating all its resources to Together For The Children, The Campaign for Miami Children's Hospital, which aims to raise $150 million by 2017 and will help fund seven MCH priorities, including the expansion and enhancement of the Emergency Department, as well as the construction of a new Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion, and expanding its Global/Telehealth endeavors.

About Miami Children's Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014-15 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.mch.com.

Media Contacts:
Miami Children's Health Foundation
Lisbet Fernandez-Vina
786.268.1845
[email protected]

RockOrange
Rosie Castro
305.731.2417
[email protected]

SOURCE Miami Children's Health Foundation