DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Tad Phelps’ Story: A Tradition of Giving Back is Helping St. Joe’s Move Forward
Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tad Phelps’ parents instilled in him the importance of giving back. Even though they didn’t have a lot of money they always gave what they could to causes that mattered to them, and from an early age Tad took notice. Today, he proudly continues their tradition of heartfelt generosity as both a St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation Board Member and a generous supporter, providing wonderful guidance as St. Joe’s looks to the future as well as much needed equipment that is benefiting some our littlest patients right now.
PATIENT SPOTLIGHT
Brooks’ Story: The Millers Had Choices for Their Son’s Cardiac Care. They Chose St. Joe’s.
With two young boys ages two and four, life for Meghan Miller and her husband Ray was already busy. It was about to get even busier. Soon their sons Easton and Maverick would be joined by a new sibling and the family looked forward to the happy kind of hectic having three kids under the age of five would bring. Nothing could have prepared them for the whirlwind their life would become when a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks hinted of a potential cardiac issue. When it came time to make important decisions about where their son would be treated, the Millers left no stone unturned: the Patel Children’s Heart Institute at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital was the place they wanted their newborn son, Brooks, born. It was there he had his very first surgery when he was just eight days old, with Dr. Victor Morell.
EVENTS

Tara Lipinski Gold Medals as the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph’s Luncheon Speaker
St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation was proud to welcome acclaimed figure skater, sports commentator, and documentary film producer Tara Lipinski to headline the 16th annual Philanthropic Women’s Speaker Luncheon on February 8, 2024. Lipinski catapulted onto the world‘s stage when she won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics—earning her the distinction as the youngest individual Gold Medalist in the history of the Winter Games and continues to this day to wow fans with her strength of character, determination and expertise. In addition to Lipinski’s keynote address, Philanthropic Women and guests celebrated total contributions of over $2.9 million to worthwhile projects at St. Joseph’s Hospitals like women with breast cancer, children with special needs, families living with life-threatening heart conditions, uninsured children requiring medical attention, and so much more. Visit our website to learn more about membership in this dynamic group.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Variety Children’s Charity Names NICU Neighborhood
Variety Children’s Charity of Florida has been a partner with St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation for several years through their donations of pediatric rehabilitation equipment. This year, in addition to funding a camera system for our motion analysis center, they made a special gift in memory of a remarkable member of their organization. James Sirna, who had the reputation of saying “yes” to all requests for his fundraising assistance, was honored with a plaque in the green NICU neighborhood at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital commemorating his contributions by Board Chairman, Marshall Cohn. Several members of the Variety Board and James’ wife were present for the dedication.
MISSION

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital First in Tampa Bay to Implant Leadless Pacemaker in Pediatric Heart Patient
The Patel Children’s Heart Institute recently implanted its first leadless pacemaker, the first among all Tampa Bay hospitals to leverage this advanced technology in a pediatric patient. The Medtronic Micra™ AV2 is the world’s smallest pacemaker — 93% smaller than traditional pacemakers. The procedure was performed by Dr. Kelvin Lau, director of pediatric electrophysiology at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, on a teenage girl who was born with isolated congenital heart block. Otherwise healthy, she recently began experiencing episodes of dizziness and fainting as a result of the underlying blockage. One month after the procedure, the patient is doing remarkably well and back to normal activities. “As a regional leader in cardiovascular care, we are committed to continuously broadening our treatment options for our congenital heart patients,” said Dr. Lau. “We’re excited to be able to offer this advanced technology to our pediatric patients.”