Huntsville Hospital Foundation

09/12/2025

🎀 Breast cancer survivors, you are the WHY.

The 22nd annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run 5K is more than a race — it’s a powerful day of celebration, hope and remembrance.

On Saturday, October 18, we’ll walk to honor the incredible strength of survivors and to remember the loved ones we’ve lost to breast cancer.💗 Step by step, you inspire every step we take.

Join the Survivors’ Walk (completely free!) or sign up for the 5K to raise even more awareness and hope. All proceeds benefit the Liz Hurley Breast Cancer Fund at HHF. Register now at lizhurleyribbonrun.org!

09/11/2025

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor the brave children and families facing cancer and to shine a light on the support that makes their journey a little easier. 💛

We were proud to host Jennifer Myrick, associate director of Cancer Center Partnerships with the American Cancer Society, for a site visit with our oncology teams — including Pediatric Oncology, Inpatient Oncology Unit, Gynecologic Oncology, Outpatient Chemotherapy and the Breast Center.

Thanks to ACS support, we have received two meaningful grants:
🚗 Transportation Grant – helping eliminate barriers to care by providing travel assistance for families traveling to Huntsville for treatment.
🐾 PAWS Grant – supporting the incredible work of Victoria and Orbit, who bring comfort and joy to children in our pediatric oncology unit.

We are grateful for the American Cancer Society’s continued partnership and commitment to improving care for patients and families in our community.

09/09/2025

When a patient’s chest is open and their heart is in a surgeon’s hands, every second matters.

Thanks to generous donors, our surgical teams now have new Foundation-funded slush machines that create sterile slush used to cool and protect the heart during open-heart surgery.

This innovation means faster preparation, safer procedures and greater peace of mind for patients and families in their most critical moments. 💙

09/08/2025

🎀 Ribbon Run merch is BACK! 🎀

You loved it last year, and we’re bringing it back for a limited time only. In addition to your FREE long-sleeve tee with your 5K registration, you can shop bonus Ribbon Run merch — including comfort colors pocket tees, cozy sweatshirts, crewnecks, toddler shirts and more!

✨ Available online only through September 18.
✨ All proceeds benefit the Liz Hurley Breast Cancer Fund at Huntsville Hospital Foundation.

Don’t wait — once the sale closes, these designs are gone!

👉 Shop now: https://www.huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=209d

09/05/2025

We had the honor of showing Kassie Whitaker and her mother, Lynn Troy, the newly renovated Baby Dinosaur Room on our Labor & Delivery floor at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children.

Kassie and Kevin Whitaker created the Baby Dinosaur room in memory of their son, Nicholas, who passed away at birth in 2010. The room serves as a quiet, comforting space where families experiencing loss can spend time with their babies and grieve in privacy.

Over the years, Lynn and John Troy have faithfully supported this space through annual gifts, which made this year’s renovation possible. With fresh paint, new furniture and custom artwork by local artist Vanessa Miller, the room is ready to continue offering comfort for families in their most difficult moments.

During discussions about the renovation, Lynn and John asked what else our families might need. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to purchase a Caring Cradle—a special cradle that allows parents more precious time with their baby, whether in the delivery room or in the Baby Dinosaur Room.

We are profoundly grateful to the Whitaker and Troy families for turning their heartbreak into a lasting gift of compassion for families facing similar loss. ❤️

09/04/2025

Say hello to the Steering Committee! 👋🏻

These Lifesaver Club leaders promote a culture of giving across our health system that inspires real, lasting impact for patients, families and co-workers.

The Steering Committee is made up of employee volunteers representing different service lines. Together, they devote their time and resources to help foster support and determine how to best allocate funds raised through Lifesaver Club.

Help us welcome and congratulate our 2025-2026 committee members ⬇️

• President: Nichole Shockley, Labor and Delivery
• Vice President: Sam Brunson, Physicians Network
• Secretary: Ember Hill, Corporate University
• Rod Crutcher, Patient Advocacy/Emergency Department Services
• Gabby Ellis, HR Madison
• Melissa Galkowski, Impatient Therapy Services
• Carissa Hicks, Pain Center
• Abby (Jurczyk) Kerr, Emergency Department
• Katherine Lavere, HH Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Clinic
• Kate Marquez, MH Surgical Services
• James Mills, HH Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Marsha Nicholas, Surgical Service Line and Neuroscience Service Line
• Kaitlin Paseur, Occupational Therapy
• Alicia Pettis, Cardiovascular Service Line
• Kaitlin Paseur, Occupational Therapy
• Alicia Pettis, Cardiovascular Service Line
• Andy Parrish, MH Human Resources
• Heather Provence, Antepartum and OBED
• Lauren Reeves, Clinical Nutrition
• Amanda Rochowiak, Pre-Op
• Leslieanne Ralston, Physicians Network
• Erin Reed, Pharmacy
• John Simms, Marketing/PR/Mobile Medical Unit & Community Care
• Elizabeth Crow, Heart Center
• Terrance Sherrod, Pharmacy
• Karen White, Lab, Bacteriology
• Haley Wright, TOC

09/02/2025

"Through all of the heartache, I am thankful for such a place to exist. A place where babies have a fighting chance at life. A place where hope lives. A place for our babies to learn how to thrive."

What a testament to our Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children Neonatal ICU and the incredible team that provides world-class care to these tiny, precious fighters. 💙

September is , and we are honored to provide lifesaving equipment and technology for miracles like RB. Thanks to generous donors to the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund, more babies in our region have access to the critical care they need to grow, thrive and graduate. Thank you!

September is NICU awareness month! My sweet RB spent 4 weeks in the NICU, and it was the hardest thing I have ever been through.. leaving the hospital without my boy in my arms, nights spent sleeping in a chair, having to leave his side during shift change, crying every time I was away from him. I wasn't able to hold him in my arms until he was three days old! I could go on forever, but the one thing that kept me sane was knowing he had some amazing people helping take care of him. The NICU nurses at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children are angels. Through all of the heartache, I am thankful for such a place to exist. A place where babies have a fighting chance at life. A place where hope lives. A place for our babies to learn how to thrive. I am thankful for it all because it is what led us here today. Us and our first born right where we are suppose to be, home as a family of three. Praying for all of the NICU babies, families, and staff. What little fighters we have! If you or your loved ones have been through something similar, just know you are not alone.. 💚

08/29/2025

💚 A huge THANK YOU to our friends at Regions Bank! 💚

This week, 31 volunteers helped us kick off renovations at the future home of The Caring House. From landscaping and painting cabinets to building a white picket fence that already makes the space feel more like home, their helping hands made it a true Day of Caring. 🌿🏡

Renovations are still underway as we paint, furnish and transform this space into a home for hope and healing. If you’d like to be part of creating this haven for grieving children and families, you can give today at huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org/caring

08/28/2025

Thank you to Team Adtran for providing First Aid Kits for Huntsville Hospital's inaugural Nurse Camp! Earlier this summer, 24 rising seniors came together from all over the Huntsville metro area for an interactive and immersive nursing camp.

They learned how to perform CPR and played tornado victims during a drill to help our teams prepare for a real-life disaster. Thanks to Team Adtran for equipping these future nurses with the tools they needed for a successful and fun camp!

08/27/2025

Christmas in July felt like the real thing! 🎄

A huge THANK YOU to Learning Express Toys of Huntsville Alabama and every generous supporter who purchased toys or donated during our Christmas in July campaign.

Because of you, our Child Life team got to go on a magical shopping spree at Learning Express with the “round-up” funds — and let us tell you, it truly felt like Christmas morning! 🎁🎅

These toys will bring smiles to hospitalized patients and keep our playrooms at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children full of comfort and joy all year long.

We’re so grateful for a community that makes moments like this possible. 💕

08/26/2025

A new home for healing 🏠 For years, Huntsville Hospital’s Caring House has operated out of a small, converted bungalow — offering one-of-a-kind, no-cost grief support for children and teens in our community who have lost a loved one. As the need for these services has grown, so has our dream of a larger space where more children can find comfort, community and healing.

That dream is becoming reality! This October, The Caring House will move into a new location on Drake Avenue, made possible by generous Huntsville Hospital Foundation donors. The space will allow multiple group sessions at once, provide dedicated areas for activities like art therapy, and give families the support and comfort they deserve during the most difficult times.

Renovations are underway — more details coming soon!

08/25/2025

Recently, new bricks were installed in the Blackwell Garden at Huntsville Hospital Main – a peaceful space designed to bring comfort to patients, families and caregivers. Many of these bricks carry the names of loved ones who are deeply missed, creating a lasting tribute within the very footprint of our hospitals.

For a gift of $100, you can purchase a personalized, commemorative brick in memory of someone special or in honor of a health care hero who made an impact on your life. When making your gift, you’ll be able to select the location where your brick will be placed:
• Blackwell Garden at HH Main
• Inpatient Hospice Facility
• Madison Hospital Healing Garden

Your brick honors a loved one’s memory while supporting patient care for generations to come.