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Big Hearts for Little Hearts Desert Guild announces successful completion of inaugural Hearts of Hope Campaign

As the Inland Empire’s only Level I Trauma Center, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital provides emergency and general healthcare services to 1.3 million children in four Southern California counties. Staffed by leading pediatricians and specialists, Children’s Hospital provides a full spectrum of critical healthcare services for children, including trauma care, cancer treatment, cardiac services, neonatal care and surgical procedures.
The Big Hearts for Little Hearts Desert Guild was founded in 2002 by a group of active leaders in the Coachella Valley to support the work of Children’s Hospital in the Valley. Only last year, with generous support from the Desert Guild and its members,
Loma Linda University Children’s Health – Indio, Jill & Barry Golden Pavilion (the “Indio clinic”), was opened to provide children of the Coachella Valley with general, specialized and dental care, in a state-of-the-art outpatient setting in redeveloping downtown Indio.
The Desert Guild launched its Hearts of Hope Campaign in May to honor Dr. Leonard Bailey, world renowned infant transplant surgeon at Children’s Hospital. The campaign culminated with the sale of a 42-inch heart designed by 12-year old child prodigy Elisabeth Anisimow, at the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital 26th annual Foundation Gala.
The campaign has raised more than $107,000 for the benefit of the Indio clinic. Proceeds from the Campaign will be used to enhance the medical and dental care of the children of the Coachella Valley at the Indio clinic.
Dr. Bailey’s groundbreaking work began early in his career, when he realized that existing reconstructive surgical procedures were inadequate for babies born with certain complex congenital heart diseases. In 1984, Dr. Bailey made medical history when he transplanted a baboon heart into an infant known as “Baby Fae.” Although she died 21 days later, this pioneering endeavor paved the way for the first successful human-to-human infant transplantation in four-day-old “Baby Moses” — a heart that still beats today, nearly 35 years later.
Dr. Bailey went on to transplant hearts in approximately 376 infants and has been key in transforming Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital into the world’s leading pediatric heart transplant center.
Long term Desert Guild members Dr. E. Jane Woolley and Dale Rotner provided the inspiration and financial support to initiate the campaign which solicited a dozen Southern California artists to design hearts celebrating Dr. Bailey’s work.
On November 27, 2018, presenting sponsor Heather James Fine Art in Palm Desert hosted the campaign’s launch and participating artists Elisabeth Anisimow, Marconi Calindas, Joan Carter, Gideon Cohn, Melody Cohn, Sherri Domenigoni, Sofia Enriquez, Alison Hyman, Patrick Linsk, Linda Maxson, Daniel Tousignant and Ulrike Maria along with their beautiful artwork.
Following the launch, the hearts were displayed at CODA Gallery in Palm Desert, The Palm Springs Art Museum, Geras Tousignant Gallery in Palm Springs and the Desert Guild’s Cooking Demo at Bighorn Country Club and Girls, Guys & Giving event at Indian Wells Country Club. Recently a 12-inch heart created by Melody Cohn was presented to Dr. Bailey and his wife at their home in Loma Linda.
The Big Hearts for Little Hearts Desert Guild supports patient programs such as Scooter’s Bottomless Bookshelf, which allows every young patient to leave the Indio clinic with a new or gently used age appropriate book. In addition, the Desert Guild’s work helps to procure much needed medical equipment and comfortable furnishings and educational toys for patient waiting areas.
To contribute to Scooter’s Bottomless Bookshelf or provide other support for the clinic, contact guilds manager Josh Zahid at jnzahid@llu.edu or 909-226-1085.

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