Groundbreaking for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago signals new era for pediatric medicine and science
A new era in pediatric medicine and science began for Children’s Memorial Hospital on April 21, as ground was broken for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, which will be located at 225 E. Chicago Ave., in the city’s Streeterville community. The 288-bed facility is scheduled to open in 2012.
“Today we are making history,” said J. Christopher Reyes, chairman of the board of directors of Children’s Memorial Medical Center. “Together we are making a great investment that will benefit our children and our communities for generations to come.”
More than 1,000 guests, including children and families; Children’s Memorial Hospital physicians, nurses and other staff; board members; donors; academic and health care partners; and government and community representatives, gathered in a colorfully decorated tent on the site of the future facility.
As they waited for the program to begin, children from Merit School of Music's Alegre Strings and ALYO Children’s Dance Theatre performed. An exhibition by the Midnight Circus, “The Journey,” introduced the theme of the event.
One of the highlights of the program was when children who have received treatment at Children’s Memorial spoke briefly about their experiences before introducing each speaker.
Twelve-year-old Daimhin McGrath, who had surgery to remove a brain tumor at age 9, spoke about his gratitude for the hospital. “My ability to speak, to move, to see, indeed my very existence here is the sole result of the staff of Children’s Memorial,” he said. A lighter moment was provided by another patient, Jamira Marks during her introduction of Children’s Memorial President and CEO Patrick M. Magoon. “He has been here for a really long time, for 30 years. That’s three times my age!”
Magoon spoke about the necessity of building a new pediatric facility to continue the journey that began more than 125 years ago when Children’s Memorial was founded as the first children’s hospital in Chicago.
"This new facility embodies our hopes and indeed our dreams for future generations of children,” he said. “New risks to their health loom in the future. And that is why it’s critically important for us to act today for what will come tomorrow.”
At the beginning of her remarks, philanthropist and transformational donor Ann Lurie said, “I would like to speak about two things: love and money.” She spoke about the compassion extended toward patients and families by the hospital’s physicians, nurses, other staff and scientists. She also addressed the necessity of philanthropy from both the public sector and from private sources to make the new hospital a reality.
We are building a tower which will have care, compassion and love, as well as state-of-the-art tools specific to the specialized needs of seriously ill infants and children,” she said, adding that she hopes her $100 million gift will inspire giving for the new facility. “This will be an enormously exciting addition to our community.”
National, state and local public officials who spoke included Governor Rod Blagojevich, Chicago First Lady Maggie Daley, U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, U.S. Representatives Danny Davis, Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Chicago 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly.
Children’s Memorial’s position as part of the fabric of the Chicago community was underscored by several of the speakers, who recounted their own personal experiences with the hospital. Senator Durbin spoke about the lifesaving surgery his daughter received at the hospital when she was a baby, while Congressman Emanuel recalled how the caregivers at Children’s Memorial saved his life when he was hospitalized for seven weeks as a teen.
At the end of the ceremony children brought out blue shovels for the dramatic moment when ground was broken for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago by more than 50 stakeholders in Children’s Memorial’s mission. They included hospital leadership, board members, donors, patients, public officials, physicians and employees, most of whom donned colorful construction helmets featuring children’s handprints. The crowd cheered as they dug their shovels into the earth, and a burst of confetti added to the festive atmosphere.