On a Mission to Change Children's Lives

An annual telethon established by Louisville’s WHAS-TV in 1954, WHAS Crusade for Children has raised more than $217 million for children with special needs in Kentucky and Indiana. The CHI Saint Joseph Health Foundations are grateful and proud to be frequent recipients of grants from the organization that can help unlock more outside funding.

“One of the most significant contributions from WHAS Crusade for Children was their gift of $100,000 to the Saint Joseph London Foundation in support of our $1.4 million campaign to establish a Level II neonatal intensive care unit,” said K. Delaine Thiel, CFRE, vice president of philanthropy at CHI Saint Joseph Health Foundations. “This seed funding ensured we met the match eligibility requirements to receive a $990,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.”

Other projects funded by WHAS Crusade for Children, at Saint Joseph Berea and Flaget Memorial Hospital, stand out for their impact on young patients and their families.

The world can be a confusing place for children who struggle to process sensory information or build developmental skills. A new space at Saint Joseph Berea helps with these tasks — and a second room for children with sensory processing issues is on the way.

In 2023, WHAS Crusade for Children awarded the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation a $35,000 grant to create a sensory gym where children with autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder and others can work with outpatient rehabilitation therapists on building muscle strength and honing developmental skills. Complete with a slide, climbing wall, swings and padded floors, the sensory gym looks like an indoor playground, a similarity not lost on eager patients.

“Having a space in the hospital that looks fun and engaging decreases children’s and parents’ anxiety about therapy,” said Raylee Kirkland, MA, CCC-SLP, CIMI-2, speech-language pathologist and supervisor of rehabilitation services at Saint Joseph Berea, who helped secure the grant for the sensory gym. “Kids walk in, see the gym and can’t wait to explore it.”

Earlier this year, the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation received a $40,000 grant from WHAS Crusade for Children, breaking the previous year’s record amount. With this funding, the hospital plans to open a sensory room with bubble towers, light tables and other advanced equipment to help calm overstimulated children and reduce negative behaviors. The room is slated to open in early 2025.

“WHAS Crusade for Children is uplifting,” Kirkland said. “They allow therapists in small communities and rural areas like ours to give kids the same opportunities and level of care they would receive in a large city.”

At Flaget Memorial Hospital, around 15% of patients who visit the emergency room (ER) are children. For many of them, the visit can spark fear and anxiety. Funding from WHAS Crusade for Children — and the vision of a thoughtful group of students — helped make the ER a more welcoming place for young patients and visitors.

In 2021, Flaget Memorial Hospital partnered with Cox’s Creek Elementary School on the Backpack Program, which allowed fourth-grade students to learn about the hospital and identify ways to make it more kid-friendly.

“The students talked about creating a pediatric exam room in the ER and a nook in the department waiting room that was just for kids,” said Jennifer Nolan, president of Flaget Memorial Hospital and interim president of Saint Joseph East. “They told us coming to the hospital could be scary and stressful for kids, and they felt like they could make a difference for the youngest patients.”

A project was born. The students were involved in every aspect, from planning to budgeting. A more than $21,000 grant from WHAS Crusade for Children to the Flaget Memorial Hospital Foundation helped bring the project to fruition. Now, children who visit the ER waiting room find an area with kid-sized furniture, hands-on activities and a TV to enjoy.

“It’s important that kids have their own space that’s comfortable and can provide distraction while they and their families wait,” said Maggie Smith, MSN, RN, OCN, vice president of patient care services at Flaget Memorial Hospital. “In addition, the department now has a dedicated exam room for pediatric patients with fun wall wraps and colorful, peaceful ceiling tiles.”

Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the children who planned the project returned as middle school students to see the fruits of their labor.

“Making the ER more kid-friendly wasn’t something those of us at the hospital had thought of, but when we heard the students’ idea, we knew it should be a priority,” Nolan said. “We appreciated WHAS Crusade for Children’s generosity in helping us make the project happen sooner rather than later.”

Feeling inspired to support local health care? Donate a gift to the CHI Saint Joseph Health Foundations today.