Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren and his wife, Greta, are stepping up to the plate with a $1 million donation to Lurie Children's Hospital's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, bringing much-needed relief to families grappling with pediatric cancer. The Kevin and Greta Warren Family Foundation's generous donation is earmarked to help those who are struggling to manage the financial stresses that come with a child's serious illness. The funds are set to go beyond medical costs, aiming to alleviate the burden on day-to-day expenses like transportation and accommodations.
The Warrens' philanthropic move was sparked by a deeply personal experience. Kevin Warren spent months in a hospital as a youngster after a car hit him while riding his bike in the summer of 1974. Recounting his days spent in traction and the compassion he received during his recovery, Warren told reporters at a news conference, "I was fortunate to go through that experience," knowing first-hand the impact of first-class medical treatment. "We love Chicago — this is the greatest city on the planet," Warren said, as reported by the Patch. "The opportunity to help children, to help families, which is critically important to us."
The Warrens noted their commitment to the long-term welfare of Chicago's children and families. "Families dealing with a cancer or a serious blood disease diagnosis for their child will always need support to ease the severe financial burdens," they were quoted saying in a statement released by the Bears. This sentiment is a bow to a promise made to Kevin Warren's late sister, Carolyn Elaine Warren-Knox, who before dying of brain cancer in 2014, urged her brother to make the world easier for afflicted families.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the hospital's senior director of family services, Susan Ruohonen, highlighted the donation's significance in providing resources "to help alleviate that burden on families that sometimes they don't have to control over." The hospital claims to admit over 220 new patients annually, with more than 65% of their families underinsured or uninsured. Warren was shocked to learn of these stats, which further fueled his desire to contribute.
Testimonies from grateful parents, such as those given by Tom Chitwood, whose stepdaughter is battling leukemia, underline the donation's importance. Chitwood, while financially stable himself, acknowledged that other families aren't as lucky and face considerable dread at the financial implications of deductibles and care expenses. Echoing this sentiment, another parent, George Wells, whose son was diagnosed with a form of cancer affecting soft tissue, emphasized the "serious amount of expenses" that accompany treatment, even for those with health insurance.
