Thanks to your philanthropy, CHOC is turning sadness into smiles for patients like Carissa, a teen who found the road to mental health wellness with the help of our Cherese Mari Laulhere Mental Health Inpatient Center and through our intensive outpatient program.
Stories of Giving
Growing up and giving back
At 18 months, Veronica Mercado was diagnosed with high-risk leukemia and treated at CHOC. Now healthy and grown, Veronica is giving back … as a licensed vocational nurse in one of CHOC’s primary care pediatric clinics.
Meet CHOC Walk driving force Suki Carter
CHOC Walk is especially meaning for Suki Carter. Her late husband, Peter, co-founded the CHOC Walk in 1990 and Suki’s taken part from the beginning.
Walmart and Sam’s Club: Teaming up with CHOC to make a difference for kids
Walmart and Sam’s Club make a huge impact on our patients’ lives through their philanthropic efforts. Since teaming up with CHOC as a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital partner, Walmart and Sam’s Club have raised over $3 million to help patients like April Arellano, who is now happily navigating the world with a prosthetic leg, thanks to cause marketing efforts like theirs.
Mini Medical School: Bringing health education to housing-insecure youth in the community
Supported by philanthropy, Mini Medical School is a science and health education series for homeless youth in Orange County. The program was created in 2019 by CHOC providers to spark children’s interest in a STEM discipline—science, technology, engineering and math—and to offer consistent contact with caring healthcare workers to make the hospital experience less intimidating.
Former cancer patient becomes CHOC nurse to help others and give back
Coming full circle at CHOC, from being a former CHOC patient to a CHOC nurse, Veronica Mercado is fully committed to CHOC’s mission and lives it out wholeheartedly.
