Basses Pledge $20 Million Gift for Pediatric Cancer Center

WINTER 2001 - Anne T. and Robert M. Bass have committed a $20 million gift to name the Center for Children's Cancer and Blood Diseases, one of the six Centers of Excellence designated within the Campaign for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The gift is among the largest ever given to Packard Children's Hospital or any children's hospital in the country.

The Center will bring together in a central Hospital location both inpatient and outpatient pediatric hematology and oncology facilities. Services will include a 24-bed hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant unit; a clinic for follow-up visits; and a Day Hospital for chemotherapy and other treatments. The gift also will support research at Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford University School of Medicine that will advance treatments for cancer and blood diseases for children locally and worldwide.

"The Basses' gift will transform how we are able to treat children with cancer and blood diseases, both now and in the future," says Harvey Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric oncologist and chief of staff at Packard Children's Hospital. By bringing together all the clinical services related to pediatric oncology and hematology, the Center will enhance collaboration among the many specialists -- oncologists, hematologists, bone marrow transplant specialists, surgeons, neurologists, radiation oncologists, and cancer biologists -- who help provide the comprehensive care and innovative therapies needed to treat children with these diseases more effectively.

The Center also will allow Packard to expand its treatment services, particularly facilities for bone marrow transplants -- a procedure used to treat many different types of cancer as well as blood, genetic, and immunologic diseases.

"We have such admiration for the outstanding treatment and research programs at Packard and Stanford related to cancer and blood diseases," said Anne Bass. "We are pleased to support endeavors that will make it possible for even more children to respond successfully to treatment."

Anne Bass, co-chair of the Campaign, is on the board of directors of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. Robert Bass is a former chair and trustee of Stanford University's board. The Basses have been involved in leadership support of children's education and health for many years.