Children's Fund Medal of Honor
Keith and Pamela Fox

Keith and Pam Fox support Lucile Packard Children's Hospital for very personal reasons. Packard's doctors and nurses have saved their daughter's life more than once. But their commitment to Packard Children's extends far beyond their gratitude. The Foxes believe that a dedicated children's hospital is necessary in every community and that local residents like them share a responsibility to sustain the regional expertise in pediatric medicine. In 2006, the Foxes were awarded the Children's Fund Medal of Honor in recognition of their significant contributions to the Lucile Packard Children's Fund.

Pam and Keith Fox with Craig Albanese, MD, (center) who is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Director of Pediatric Surgical Services.

The Foxes' daughter, Katelyn, was born almost 19 years ago when the family lived in Boston. She was rushed to Children's Hospital Boston shortly after birth for a severe abdominal and urinary tract defect that would require extensive surgeries and ongoing care. The existence of the new, soon-to-open Packard Children's Hospital was an important consideration in their decision to move to the Bay Area two-and-a-half years later.

The Foxes' support is so extraordinary because they choose to dedicate significant gifts to the Children's Fund for the Hospital's greatest ongoing needs. Gifts to the Children's Fund are used in the year they are received and support a wide variety of necessary programs throughout the Hospital that depend on philanthropy.

"We trusted the doctors and staff who helped our daughter, and we trust the leaders of this Hospital to be great stewards," says Keith. "We want them to use the money to best meet current needs, and for our gift to be of immediate use."

They also have used their contributions to encourage others to get involved. For the past two years, Keith and Pam have created a Challenge Grant totaling $250,000 to match new and increased contributions to the Children's Fund. This special challenge has been especially successful at encouraging more community members to support the Hospital at leadership levels.

"If more people give, get involved, and learn more about all the great things the Hospital does for our community, hopefully they will tell their friends and the cycle will continue," explains Keith. "We all benefit from having this wonderful institution here, and we must support its work so that it can continue to be the tremendous resource it is for our children and families."

The Children's Fund Medal of Honor was created in 2004 to honor donors who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital through high level annual support of the Lucile Packard Children's Fund. The award recognizes recipients' deep committment to the children and families of our community, as well as the importance of annual giving in supporting the Hospital's mission.