McLane Children's

Adding Cardiovascular Surgery

McLane Children's has a robust cardiology program, diagnosing and treating pediatric heart conditions caused by disease, genetic condition or virus. However, children requiring heart surgery or heart transplant must be referred outside our system, commonly to larger cities like Houston or Dallas. On top of the anxiety of facing a serious heart condition, these patients and their families often spend months in the hospital for treatment, incurring the additional expenses and stress that come with being a long way from home.

With your help, McLane Children's is developing a pediatric cardiovascular surgery program to help ease this burden.

Growing Neurology/Neurosurgery

Children with neurological conditions have special needs because their brains and nervous systems are actively growing. By expanding our excellent neuroscience team with two additional neurologists and one neurosurgeon, we will increase access for patients in need of treatment for conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Your gifts can provide advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment and training to help physicians save lives and improve the quality of life for children with neurological conditions.

Expanding Transport Services

As the only pediatric specialty hospital between Dallas and Austin, McLane Children’s serves a geographic area the size of New England, made up of rapidly growing communities. When other hospitals in our area encounter a sick or injured child in need of advanced care, McLane Children’s is available to step in—with the help of our transport team made up of registered nurses, respiratory therapists and EMTs who have specialized training in stabilizing, treating and transporting pediatric and neonatal patients. Your gifts can support equipment and training so that our team can serve even more children throughout the region who need care quickly.

Enhancing Other Programs

Cancer Care

Our multidisciplinary team of specialists in pediatric hematology/oncology, orthopedics, nurses with  specialized training, social workers and Child Life specialists collaborate to provide comprehensive cancer care for children with complex medical problems. With your support, our young patients can continue to access advanced diagnostic technology and treatment techniques right here in Central Texas.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The McLane Children’s NICU cares for the most fragile, premature newborns, as well as full-term infants diagnosed with serious or life-threatening conditions. Your gifts support life-saving technology and monitoring equipment, specialized training for care providers and support for parents and families during one of the most stressful times of their lives.

Support our greatest needs

Leah Woodward, CCLS helps a child take the blood pressure of a doll during medical play to help him feel more in control. Learn more in "A day with the Child Life Team."

Child Life

Our Child Life program helps children and families deal with the stress and anxiety that often accompany healthcare experiences. Through play activities, relaxation and stress management, and opportunities to socialize with other children, Child Life helps to normalize the hospital experience and provides emotional support for children and their families.

The Child Life program relies heavily on philanthropy. Many of our activities, supplies, and each of our summer camps are funded by your generous gifts to help children deal with medical treatment in a positive way.

NEWS IN CHILD LIFE

Thank you, CHA and The Toy Foundation!

McLane Children's was one of 19 children's hospitals nationwide, and one of just two in Texas, to receive a $20,000 grant from Children's Hospital Association (CHA) and The Toy Foundation to help purchase sensory toys for our young patients. This is the second year McLane Children's has received the grant.

Research has shown that sensory toys help:

• Decrease procedure times by distracting young patients from potentially overwhelming stimuli
• Increase patient cooperation with procedure requests
• Decrease anxiety and stress for both the children and their caregivers.

Support Child Life

Pawsitive Pals

Your gifts could support the work of our two furrest employees, Lorenzo and Gigi. These specially trained facility dogs offer comfort and snuggles to patients in the hospital and specialty clinic.

Lorenzo works with the Child Life team, helping kids feel more normal and less stressed while in the hospital. He can serve as a distraction to patients undergoing procedures, assist with physical and occupational therapy by playing or going for a walk with patients, or comfort patients or families dealing with a difficult diagnosis or unfortunate news.

Gigi partners with the Social Work team in the Emergency Department, comforting kids who have experienced trauma. She offers therapeutic support and a sense of safety, helping patients open up to the staff caring for them. Read more about Gigi's work. 

Support Pawsitive Pals

Meet our 2022 CMNH champion! Danny Agee had emergency brain surgery at McLane Children's to relieve pressure on his brain caused by a tumor. He'll spend 2022 helping to advocate for the charitable needs of the local CMN Hospital that saved his life.

McLane Children's is your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital! CMNH raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals nationwide. Donations stay local to fund critical services, equipment, and charitable care. Since 1983, CMNH has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time.

Find out more about how you can partner with us through CMNH!

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