At 11 days old, Rowan was diagnosed with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), a rare genetic disorder that causes delayed growth and development in many parts of the body.
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Last week concluded the 2019 Children’s Impact Forum, a three-day long strategic planning meeting for our member hospital foundations, partners, external stakeholders, and Board of Directors to deliver the roadmap for CCHF in 2020 and beyond. This was the second annual strategic meeting that brings participants from across the country together, including 13 of the strongest brands in children’s health in Canada – our hospital foundations.
The week focused on three key ideas – impact, innovations and insights – as Jennifer Gillivan, CEO of IWK Foundation, summarized in an extremely inspirational speech on the final day.
Turning Ideas into Impact with Action
Wednesday kicked off with an impactful keynote address from SickKids Hospital CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn, followed by series of problem-solving roundtable discussions about the power of Canadian fundraising with our most supportive partners in attendance.
“This isn’t just about raising money. This is about collectively changing the conversation about children and our future.” – Jennifer Gillivan
Innovations Keep Us Moving Forward
There was no shortage of ideas and inspiration from across the country. The hospital foundations are passionate, creative and eager to innovate to improve children’s health. Enthusiastic conversations around fundraising opportunities, trends and ideas, growth of partnerships, and best practices were shared to help shape the future of CCHF.
Chair of the CCHF Board and SickKids Foundation CEO Ted Garrard highlighted his appreciation for our partners, and their role in helping us achieve our goals as a collective.
Sharing Insights Keeps Us Connected
Opportunities like the Children’s Impact Forum help bring the most dedicated advocates for children’s health in Canada together to share stories and learn. John Lauck, CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the US, shared touching stories of how our children’s hospitals are saving children’s lives, emphasizing the power of our member foundations’ work every day.
Looking forward
We’re inspired. We’re ready to put our words into action and get fierce for children’s health, as the opportunities of what we can build together are endless right now. And the only people holding us back is us.
Because if we don’t fight for children, who will?
