Nine-year-old donates birthday money to Children’s Hospital

By: Briana Pastorino

Instead of unwrapping gifts at his birthday party, Ulysses Hsu, 9, of Eastvale, California, United States, was taking donations forLoma Linda University Children’s Hospital(LLUCH), a Seventh-day Adventist healthcare institution in Loma Linda, California.

At his ninth birthday party, Hsu told his friends that he wanted to help support “Vision 2020: The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow,” and by doing so he raised over $1,600. “Vision 2020” is a comprehensive plan for new state-of-the-art facilities that it’s being advertised as “a $1.4 billion transformational plan for a healthier tomorrow,” according to the campaign website. The philanthropic goal for the project is $360 million.

Hsu stopped by LLUCH Monday, March 6 and presented a check for $1,636 to hospital mascot Luke the Lion in the lobby. Patients and staff also came down to meet Hsu, who was accompanied by his parents.

“Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital is not an ordinary hospital,” Hsu said. “It is a place of happiness, love, comfort and warmth.”

This is not the first time Hsu has delivered a check the hospital. The junior philanthropist first donated money from his eighth birthday in 2016 in honor of a friend who had cancer.

Jill Payne, assistant vice president of philanthropy at Loma Linda University Health emphasized that Hsu’s benevolence has sparked a trend in the “Give Now Build Hope” campaign.

“You inspired a lot of people this year,” Payne said to Hsu, adding that several other kids have donated their birthday money to Vision 2020. “You’ve started a movement.”

“Give Now Build Hope” is the public giving campaign that encourages anyone to give at any level toward the new Children’s Hospital tower.

“Every little bit helps,” said Joe Perry, assistant vice president of finance at LLUCH. “This is an amazing accomplishment and you make such a big difference in building hope for our patients.”

LLUCH, which is part of Loma Linda University Health, provides the most advanced healthcare options for children in the area. The hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is one of the largest and most advanced neonatal centers in the world, with 22,000 square feet dedicated to caring for some of the tiniest babies ever born, according to the hospital website. This includes a special area for infants who have undergone transplants and premature babies who need the aid of special machines to help them develop.

LLUCH also includes a state-of-the-art pediatric emergency department, with teams of specialists working together to treat even complicated diseases like spina bifida, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and others.