The Hope Fund Empowers Healing

Phoenix Children’s is committed to providing the very best that pediatric medicine has to offer. However, new and pressing needs often arise—needs for new equipment, technology and more. Sometimes, these needs are the only things standing between a patient’s illness and their ability to improve and heal.  

The Hope Fund allows us to respond to these needs immediately and effectively. Through the generosity of our donors and supporters, we can invest in state-of-the-art equipment and technology, cutting-edge research and clinical trials, innovative clinical programs and family-centered services that help get kids get back to being kids. 

Hope for a cure

Phoenix Children's is becoming a pediatric research nexus, fostering discoveries that translate into the next generation of lifesaving treatments for children. When our talented researchers are onto a potential cure, we need to act quickly. 

“Sometimes, we need resources to fund research that wasn’t planned—when we’re onto something potentially lifesaving and can’t wait,” says Steve Schnall, senior vice president and chief development officer at Phoenix Children’s. 

That’s where the Hope Fund comes in. It helps physician scientists get their project up and running—potentially taking one step closer to funding a cure—while the hospital works to secure additional funding. Without the Hope Fund, this process could take years.

Hope for lifesaving care

Donations to the Hope Fund help support more than 170 programs that are essential to family-centered care. The support from our giving community provides for the health and well-being of a child that extends beyond what science can heal.

Here are some of the programs that make a difference in the lives of our patients daily:

• 1 Darn Cool School helps patients keep up with their schoolwork during hospital stays. The program employs its own master’s-level teaching staff who work in partnership with local school districts. In 2022, 1 Darn Cool School conducted more than 10,700 sessions with 2,080 unique patients.   

• The Animal-Assisted Therapy program promotes healing through interactions with therapy animals. These interactions help reduce patients’ stress and pain and provide comfort to them and their families. More than 30 therapy dogs (and two therapy cats) visit patients at the hospital.  

• The Child Life Zone is a state-of-the-art play area that provides an escape from daily life in the hospital for patients and their families. The 3,800-square-foot space includes a multiuse theater; a gaming wall; pool, air hockey and foosball tables; pinball and arcade machines; and a craft center. 

• The Emily Center Family Health Library is the most comprehensive pediatric health library in the Southwest. It is open to the public, with information about child health, illness and injury available in English and Spanish. 

• The Homeless Youth Outreach program provides comprehensive health care to children and young adults experiencing homelessness. Mobile medical units travel to shelters, group homes, drop-in centers and schools throughout the Valley, bringing comprehensive medical and behavioral health services directly to those in need. The program also operates clinics at UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix Dream Center and Children First Leadership Academy. 

• Injury prevention programs reach parents and children with important safety messages and skills, providing information about topics like water safety, bicycle safety, fire safety and child abuse prevention. Equipment such as car seats and portable cribs is distributed to families in need. 

• The Therapeutic Arts program provides patients with safe spaces for coping and healing through therapy in the arts. Music and art therapists provide one-to-one therapy sessions for patients at the hospital. 

Hope in times of hardship

The Hope Fund is instrumental in supporting Phoenix Children’s families experiencing hardship. The economic challenges increase for families caring for a child with serious illness or injury. Time off work, nights away from home, frequent travel and medical bills all add to the pressure of helping a child heal.

Phoenix Children's remains a beacon of hope and healing during these challenging times. We believe no family should have to choose between a child's health and meeting basic needs.

With your support, Phoenix Children’s can act quickly and provide emergency relief to families facing hardship.