Of the award, Katie said,"Thank you so much! I am so incredibly humbled and honored to be the recipient of the 2020 Wyoming Jefferson Award! Thank you to the Jefferson Award Committee of Wyoming for this tremendous honor and to the person who nominated me! This is such a great honor, and I am absolutely grateful to represent the great state of Wyoming!
When I started the Olivia Caldwell Foundation nearly 7 years ago just after my daughter died, I never could have imagined what this would turn into. At the time I was shocked, horribly sad, and trying desperately to find some meaning from the horror I had watched my daughter experience at the hands of pediatric cancer. In those 7 years we have seen real change and real progress in the fight for our missions! We’ve seen the cure come for several types of pediatric cancer, including the one that killed my own baby girl. We’ve also seen the addition of the Pediatric Specialty Outreach Clinic in Casper, which brings expert pediatric care to Wyoming kids without the need to travel out of state. None of this progress would have been possible without the amazing support we receive from the Casper community and beyond! The evolution of where we have gotten to has been the result of hard work and dedication by so many amazing people! I want to say thank you to the incredible board and staff of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation, both past and present. These absolutely amazing people have dedicated countless hours, donated their own hard-earned money, and worked their tails off to make sure other families don’t have to lose their children to this horrific disease. I love each and every one of you and I am so thankful to have you to fight this battle with me! I want to say thank you also to my wonderful family who has stood by my side and helped tremendously over all of these years. To my parents who uprooted their lives and came here to Wyoming when Olivia was sick and have continued to support us above and beyond. Thank you! I want to say thank you also to my wonderful husband Wayne. Thank you for always supporting me, pushing me to follow my dreams, being my best volunteer, and being so willing to do whatever it takes to make sure I can pursue this mission wholeheartedly. I love you honey! Thank you also to my little boys, Wyatt and Landon, for your love and willingness to pursue this mission with me to honor your sister! There is still so much work to be done! But thank you just isn’t enough for everyone who has supported us to get to where we are today! Thank you to all of our volunteers, sponsors, partner organizations, donors, and everyone who has ever attended one of our fundraising events! You are the reason why more children will be able to survive pediatric cancer and why life will continue to get better for more children with complicated medical conditions! Thank you again!"
0 Comments
"After this latest donation we've now given an absolutely incredible $425,000 to pediatric cancer research in just six years," said Katie Caldwell-Burchett, CEO/Founder of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation. "The research we've been able to fund has led to the cure for several types of pediatric cancer, including the one that took the life of my own daughter. We are truly grateful for the community in Casper and beyond who have supported us over the years. It is because of these incredible donors that our research team is saving the lives of children in Wyoming and beyond."
During the Annual Dinner invitees heard an update from Dr. Nick Foreman on the latest research break throughs and plans for 2020 and beyond. They also heard from Jennifer Knotts, Director of Outreach & Partnerships at Children's Hospital Colorado on the opening of the Pediatric Specialty Outreach Clinic in Casper. To learn more about the programs supported by the Olivia Caldwell Foundation and how you can help, please visit our website at www.oliviacaldwellfoundation.org or contact us at 307-333-1273 or katie@oliviacaldwellfoundation.org. Beginning in October, the Care Alliance will utilize a video-based tele-neonatology service that will enable real-time video consultation between medical experts at the NICU at Wyoming Medical Center and neonatal experts from Children's Colorado, the only top 10 children's hospital in the region. Children's Colorado neonatologists will offer consultations around clinical decision-making, as well as guidance on stabilizing patients in need of transfer. The video-based tele-neonatology service supplements an existing 24/7 phone consultation partnership that has already been in place. Together, these services should allow more Wyoming babies and their families to stay close to home for care, which helps prevent expensive travel costs associated with transfers. "We entered into the Care Alliance partnership with Children's Colorado last year to expand access to pediatric care for Wyoming children and we're so pleased with the progress we've made together," said Michele Chulick, Wyoming Medical Center's president and CEO. "The launch of the tele-neonatology service means that Wyoming residents can benefit further from the expertise available at Children's Colorado without the need to travel hundreds of miles." In addition to the tele-neonatology service, starting in November 2019, pediatric specialty clinical outreach services will be offered at a single location in the McMurry building near the Wyoming Medical Center campus. This new, welcoming space will include a play area with a child-friendly aesthetic. The clinic will be co-located with the Olivia Caldwell Foundation, a local nonprofit with a mission to fund life-saving cancer research and other programs that improve the lives of children battling cancer and other serious diseases in Wyoming and the surrounding areas. The Olivia Caldwell Foundation is a local nonprofit created in memory of Olivia Caldwell, a Children's Colorado cancer patient who passed away in October 2013. The foundation has contributed funds to support Children's Colorado neuro-oncologist Dr. Nick Foreman's research into finding life-saving treatments for children with cancer. This year, the foundation has expanded their fundraising efforts to support pediatric healthcare in Casper and the surrounding region and will be providing funds to support pediatric specialty outreach clinics in the Casper region. "The Olivia Caldwell Foundation is excited to broaden its mission to support local Wyoming children who are battling complicated medical conditions. The outreach clinic will make Casper a hub in the state for expert pediatric care," said Katie Caldwell-Burchett, CEO and Founder of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation. "As a mother of two children who have experienced complicated medical conditions, this clinic will make a world of difference." The Care Alliance between Wyoming Medical Center and Children's Colorado is also making great strides to elevate pediatric care close to home and streamline the coordination of care between the two organizations and affiliated pediatric providers. Over the last year, Children's Colorado has provided education and training to the pediatric providers at Wyoming Medical Center including simulation training to assist in caring for some of the smallest patients in the region. Additionally, the Care Alliance offers Wyoming-based providers expertise from Children's Colorado literally at their fingertips through secure texting, electronic health record connectivity and the new tele-neonatology service. "We are honored to partner with Wyoming Medical Center and The Olivia Caldwell Foundation," said Michael Narkewicz, MD, Executive, Provider Strategic Partnerships and Pediatric Hepatologist, Children's Colorado. "We believe all children should receive high-quality pediatric care, regardless of where they live, and believe this collaboration across our organizations benefits the families and children served by Wyoming Medical Center." ABOUT WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER
Wyoming Medical Center is the state’s largest hospital with 249 beds, more than 45 medical specialties and 13 primary, specialty and immediate care clinics. As a regional trauma and referral center, we serve more 11 Wyoming counties with more than 250,000 people. We are Casper’s only full-service, nonprofit hospital with comprehensive heart, stroke and trauma care. ABOUT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the nation’s leading and most expansive pediatric healthcare systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and recognized as a top ten children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative and groundbreaking treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric healthcare worldwide. Children’s Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Colorado, including its location on the Anschutz Medical Campus, and across the region. In 2019, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, opened as the first pediatric-only hospital in southern Colorado. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org. ABOUT OLIVIA CALDWELL FOUNDATION Olivia Caldwell Foundation is a leading nonprofit in the Casper area dedicated to funding pediatric cancer research and programs to improve the lives of children battling cancer and other serious diseases in Wyoming and surrounding areas. Since our inception in November 2013 we’ve given $325,000 to pediatric cancer research, plus an additional $13,000 in gift cards to pediatric cancer patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado. In 2019 Olivia Caldwell Foundation broadened our mission to serve local children battling complicated medical conditions through the support of the Children’s Colorado-CU School of Medicine Specialty Outreach Clinics for Children in Casper, Wyo. For more information please visit www.oliviacaldwellfoundation.org. The Olivia Caldwell Foundation donated more than $3,000 in gift cards to pediatric oncology patients at Children's Hospital thanks to a partnership with Highland Park Community Church.
"Each year the congregation at Highland Park Community Church donates a couple thousand dollars to us so we can purchase gift cards for pediatric cancer patients," said Katie Caldwell-Burchett, Founder/CEO of The Olivia Caldwell Foundation. "Thanks to their support over the past four years we've now given over $13,000 in gift cards for food, gas, and entertainment to help the kids and their families make it through the long treatment days." To learn more about how you can help, please contact Katie Caldwell-Burchett. The Olivia Caldwell Foundation made a record annual donation of $100,000 to Dr. Nick Foreman's pediatric neuro-oncology research lab during our annual Donor Dinner on November 17, 2018.
"After this latest donation we have now given an incredible $325,000 to pediatric cancer research in just five years," said Katie Caldwell-Burchett, Founder/CEO of The Olivia Caldwell Foundation. "We've now been able to fund more than 30 exciting research projects, help kick start multiple nationwide clinical trials, and assist our research team in receiving millions of dollars in National Institute of Health grants." To learn more about how you can help, please contact Katie Caldwell-Burchett. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2020
Categories |