W
hen Dick and Linda Richardson moved to Summit, New Jersey, in the 1960s to raise a family, the couple noticed something special about Morristown Memorial Hospital (now Morristown Medical Center). Whether it was for a minor injury or the need for advanced medical attention, they were thankful for first-rate care and compassion in their backyard. After 20 years of consecutive giving, their two recent gifts reflect the breadth of how much the hospital has helped their growing family. The couple made a $100,000 gift to the Growing Forward Campaign for Goryeb Children’s Hospital’s recent renovation and expansion and a $120,000 donation to fund the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program at Sam’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Morristown Medical Center.
PEDIATRICS
RICHARDSON FAMILY GIVING IMPACTS MOST VULNERABLE PEDIATRIC PATIENTS “It saddens us to see a sick child,” Linda Richardson said. “Our twin granddaughters, Sydney and Zoey, were born early, but thank heavens for the excellent care they received at Morristown Medical Center; they are now healthy 11-year-olds.” To make a gift to the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program or Goryeb Children’s Hospital, contact Gerri Kling at
973-593-2414 geraldine.kling@atlantichealth.org
The Richardson’s gift to the Growing Forward Campaign helped address Goryeb Children’s Hospital’s capacity issues, including a renovation to the building’s design. As a result of the project, Goryeb Children’s Hospital can better meet the challenges of caring for the most seriously ill children in the region. Their commitment to the welfare of children’s health made it easy for them to then support the NeonatalPerinatal Medicine Fellowship Program. The advanced curriculum of the fellowship will prepare physicians to care for fragile infants, provide academic support for clinical research and offer mentorship in communicating difficult news to patients’ families. Housed within Sam’s NICU, a Level III Regional Perinatal Center, the fundraising goal is to raise $2 million to endow one fellow.
The Richardson family circa 1985.
The Richardsons are glad they can find opportunities to connect to Morristown Medical Center in meaningful ways since, for years, they have watched the community hospital’s transformation into a world-class medical facility. When they were a young couple, a fond memory is when the Maternity Center (now the Deskovick Maternity Center) was above the main entrance. “I stood outside the front door with our eldest daughter, Lisa, and waved up to my wife right after she had our second child,” Dick Richardson said. Shortly after, a third child was born – and the years sped by raising their happy family. They found themselves back at an expanded and renovated Deskovick Maternity Center. This time around, it was to welcome their grandchildren into the world. Five of their six grandchildren were born at the hospital.
The Richardson family today. Photo credit: Heidi Warner
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