St. Louis Children's Hospital Magazine: Summer 2026 by St. Louis Children's Hospital

Editor: Janelle Ammel | Janelle.Ammel@bjc.org

Tanya L. Waskiewicz

Chief Development Officer, St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Dear Friends,

2026 is off to an inspiring start at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, with big milestones and even bigger impact on the horizon.

Since announcing the public phase of the $400 million fundraising campaign, we have seen great support from the community. Inside this issue is an interview with Laila, our latest Heart of Gold winner, who opens up about why she continues to support St. Louis Children’s Hospital through her participation in the I AM PROOF campaign, and shares how far she’s come in the past nine years.

In March, we opened a pediatric hospital within a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, through our new joint venture with Cox Health. St. Louis Children’s at Cox Health is the only independently licensed, full-service

pediatric hospital in the Ozarks Region, and it includes an advanced newborn intensive care unit, a pediatric intensive care unit, and inpatient pediatric care.

The exciting news doesn’t stop there! St. Louis Children’s is also expanding outpatient care to the western St. Louis suburb of Wentzville and Springfield, Missouri, with two new Children’s Specialty Care Centers—one in each location— allowing WashU Medicine physicians to continue treating children in their local communities.

We know these endeavors are not possible without the support of our donors. Whether you’ve just given your first gift, or have given for more than 20 years, we are grateful for you and your commitment to supporting children and families when they need it most. We cannot do this alone.

Warm Regards,

Tanya L. Waskiewicz

Chief Development Officer

St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Friends and supporters of St. Louis Children’s Hospital enjoyed a day of energy and excitement during the inaugural Field Day: At the Races at Old Warson Country Club. From curated experiences to lively entertainment, the event brought smiles, Kentucky Derby-inspired attire, and fun—all in support of a good cause. Patient ambassador, Stella, shared her inspirational story of healing with all in attendance. The afternoon raised more than $250,000 in support of St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Teen patients at St. Louis Children’s experienced a memorable night of music, dancing, and celebration at the hospital’s annual Teen Prom, supported by the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The Greatest Showman-themed soiree offered a chance for patients to dress up, connect with peers, and enjoy a meaningful evening, thanks to donors who helped make this night possible.

Local partners are making a meaningful impact for moms and families. Katie’s Pizza & Pasta hosted a giveback event at their Ballpark Village location, generously donating 100% of the proceeds from that day’s orders to support services and research for maternal mental health. And, from April to June, Teleo Coffee donated 10% from the purchase of every “Love Your Neighbor Latte” to the Hermann Center, which will help expand maternal mental health support across the St. Louis region.

During National Donate Life Month, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Mid-America Transplant hosted a special gathering in the Olson Family Garden honoring transplant recipients, donors, and their families. The gathering offered a space for remembrance, celebrated resilience, and highlighted the lifesaving impact of organ and tissue donation.

Beads of Courage is a program utilized at St. Louis Children’s to help children tell their stories using colorful beads as symbols of courage. Every bead represents a procedure or milestone along their treatment journey. Thanks to a generous gift from the Petroff family, the program, which also includes training for nurses and bead-stringing workshops for patients, will now be offered to more departments within the hospital

Amoriah, an 11-year-old St. Louis Children’s NICU graduate, is giving back by donating copies of her self-written book, “Amoriah’s Magic Afro Puffs,” which celebrates loving your natural hair to fellow patients. The book promotes self-love and was written when Amoriah was struggling with her own confidence. The story is a reminder of how donor support helps children grow, heal, and give back to others.

A new Approach to Family Mental Health

How the Hermann Center—and one mother’s story—is changing outcomes for parents and young children alike

After welcoming her second child, Miya, Lindsay Aggarwal initially felt great. But, when she returned to work as a law partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, the weight of a demanding workload and caring for two children quickly became overwhelming. She found herself breaking down in tears multiple times a day and feeling deeply alone in her struggle. From the outside, she looked fine, using all her energy to keep up physically, but inside, her mental health was disintegrating.

Her husband, WashU Medicine pediatric cardiologist Manish Aggarwal, MD, urged her to see her physician, who immediately diagnosed Lindsay with postpartum depression. Her physician then referred her to the Hermann Center for Child and Family Development at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

The Hermann Center is a state-of-the-art research center that serves as a platform to transform behavioral health. Established through a generous gift from Bob and Signa Hermann, the Center is the first of its kind to adopt a multigenerational approach to behavioral health conditions of childhood, one that engages the whole family and tracks the results of care for a decade or more. The Hermann Center is housed within the Children’s Discovery Institute, a collaboration between St. Louis Children’s Hospital, its Foundation, and WashU Medicine.

The Hermann Center’s research programs focus on interventions for pregnant mothers and children from birth to age 7. For Lindsay, the perinatal behavioral health services provided her with intervention to treat her postpartum depression.

“Kids can’t be well if their parents aren’t well.”

–Lindsay Aggarwal

Ultimately, after a five-month leave of absence from work, treatment from the Hermann Center, and medication, she fully recovered and went back to work—spending half of her time on securities law and the other half as the head of her firm’s parental leave coaching program, something she created upon her return.

To create a community of support for working mothers like herself and to pay it forward, Lindsay crafted an event to benefit the Hermann Center.

As a member of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board, Lindsay believes in the transformative power of philanthropy. On Thursday, March 12, 2026, which is also National Working Moms Day, the inaugural Mamas Get to Work! hosted almost 200 working mothers and women from across the St. Louis community for an afternoon of inspiration, connection, and support. Lindsay opened the event by sharing her personal story.

The audience also heard from WashU Medicine physician Cynthia Rogers, MD, executive co-director of the Hermann Center, about how the research being done at the Hermann Center is life-changing for both children and their families.

From left to right: Alexis Zotos, Kelly Stumpe, Ronke Faleti, and Sarah Fenske discuss their lives as working moms while raising their families.

A panel of influential speakers was moderated by Sarah Fenske, executive editor of St. Louis Magazine, and featured three well-known St. Louis area mothers:

• Alexis Zotos, former KMOV news reporter and current content creator and podcaster

• Ronke Faleti, former finance executive turned founder of Korédé House

• Kelly Stumpe, social media creator known as The Car Mom, who reviews cars for moms and families

Each of the women shared her perspective on motherhood and the struggles that come with it as they answered questions that resonated with the audience.

Mamas Get to Work! raised more than $43,150 to benefit the Hermann Center. Thanks to generous supporters, the Hermann Center will continue to have a profound impact on our patients and families, both in St. Louis and, eventually, beyond.

Dr. Cynthia Rogers (left) and Lindsay Aggarwal (right) are working together to raise funds to support the Hermann Center for Child and Family Development

If you would like to support maternal and child behavioral health through research, make a gift at StLouisChildrens.org/Give

Left:

reimagining Mental Health Care for Kids

More Access, More Innovation, and More Hope for Families

Rebekah, a St. Louis mom, never imagined she would watch her child disappear right before her eyes. At just 14 years old, her son, Ian, who was once a thoughtful, funny teenager who liked to joke around, began to slip into a mental health crisis. What followed was a journey marked by fear and uncertainty, yet, ultimately, defined by hope.

The reality Rebekah was living is unfortunately one that reflects a much larger issue facing families in our region and beyond. The pediatric mental health crisis is no longer a distant concern and is unfolding in real time for families like Ian’s. At St. Louis Children’s Hospital, providers are seeing the impact every day, with more and more children arriving in the Emergency Department (ED) deep in crisis or psychosis.

For Ian, that was his existence. The summer before his freshman year of high school, he began to have trouble sleeping at night and had constant worry about his mother’s safety. What started as headaches and anxiety quickly escalated into severe insomnia and paranoia. Rebekah felt

Ian’s story is a strong reminder of family support, personal strength, and specialized care.

helpless as she watched Ian slipping away as he lost the ability to sleep, take a shower, brush his own teeth, and make sense of the world around him. Rebekah said they tried everything, but none of the treatments and medications helped stabilize him. When Ian’s condition reached a breaking point, his family made the difficult decision to take him to the ED at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Because demand was so high, they waited for several days for a bed in the Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit (PBHU) to become available. WashU Medicine pediatric psychiatrist Michael Wenzinger, MD, who is the head of the PBHU at St. Louis Children’s, describes many hospitals, not just St. Louis Children’s, as struggling to keep up with the need. According to Dr. Wenzinger, even if the number of psychiatric hospital beds were doubled, it still would not meet the demand in the St. Louis area.

When Ian was finally admitted, his condition continued to deteriorate. At one point, he became unresponsive—unable to speak or engage with anyone around him. This was a terrifying moment for his family, but it also became a turning point.

“This was never a story we planned on sharing, but, in my journey to understand what was happening to my son, we felt compelled to speak out,” said Rebekah.

Ian was diagnosed with catatonia, which is a neuropsychiatric syndrome marked by symptoms such as immobility or mutism, and, eventually, schizophrenia and epilepsy—all of which played a part in his journey. Through a combination of expert care, close collaboration among specialists, and innovative treatments at St. Louis Children’s, he began to improve. Ian spent 11 weeks in the hospital, and Rebekah slowly watched her son come back to life.

Today, Ian continues his recovery with ongoing support while navigating school and building skills for his future. His journey is a testament to the importance of timely, highly specialized access to mental health care resources.

Stories like Ian’s and Rebekah’s are becoming increasingly common and they highlight the urgency of the pediatric mental health crisis. According to Dr. Wenzinger, there is a disturbing upward trend in the number of kids St. Louis Children’s sees for suicidal

ideation. It used to be relatively uncommon to see a pediatric patient with psychosis or catatonia, but, over the past decade, there has been a substantial increase in both frequency and severity.

Hospitals are trying to meet the need by increasing the number of staff, offering more care options, providing additional training, and even building facilities for more resources. Locally, these efforts are supported by a joint venture between St. Louis Children’s and KVC Health Systems, including the opening of a new, state-of-the-art children’s mental health hospital opening on the KVC Missouri Children’s Mental Wellness Campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, later this year.

Dr. Wenzinger cautions against naming one specific reason for these trends. “There is a lot of temptation to jump to a conclusion as to what is causing this crisis, but it is multifactorial. What might be true for one child is not true for another. However, one thing is true for all kids—there are not enough services for any of them.”

This underscores the importance of donor support for initiatives like the KVC Missouri Children’s Mental Wellness Campus. Philanthropy allows St. Louis Children’s Hospital to respond in real time and transform outcomes for children like Ian and families throughout the region.

When Ian was unable to talk during his time in the hospital, he communicated with his mom through handwritten notes.

Scan the QR Code to help more families like Ian’s and support mental health for children in the St. Louis area.

Big Smiles, bigger Space

St. Louis Children’s unveils a new Child Life Zone designed to help young patients cope, connect, and just be kids again

When kids are in the hospital, their drive to play remains strong. And now, thanks to a partnership with Teammates for Kids Foundation, a new state-of-the-art play area is open at St. Louis Children’s.

The new Child Life Zone offers more than 4,000 square feet of play space for children and teens to enjoy immersive play and provides more opportunities for our patients to reduce stress and anxiety. In 2023, the transformation began when St. Louis Children’s Hospital was chosen by Teammates for Kids as the recipient of the 17th Child Life Zone in the United States. After extensive planning, demolition and construction began in March 2025. The new footprint is more than double the size of the previous play spaces, which will allow Child Life Services to support even more patients and families each year.

The new Child Life Zone includes spaces for children of all ages, including this area featuring an air hockey table and multiple gaming hubs.

“One of the first patients who visited the Zone walked in with his IV pole and a big smile and said, ‘Mom, hurry up, you have to see this place!’ Creating the Child Life Zone has transformed the experience for so many patients and families by creating an environment filled with this kind of energy, comfort, and joy.”

—Julie, Child Life Services Manager

The Studio, a high-tech broadcast hub, is where patients become stars, hosting live shows that beam directly to the bedsides of kids unable to leave their rooms. Special guests, performers, and live programming are part of the expanded programming schedule.

The Teen and Gaming Space is for the teens who need their own vibe. This is a “no-little-kids-allowed” retreat to dominate the video game wall, play air hockey, and just hang out.

A Maker Space promotes self-expression and creativity. With 3D printers, craft materials, and laser cutters, if a child can dream it, they can build it.

The Photo Pod is all about capturing pure joy— because we want families to leave with photos of smiles, not just scans.

The Café is where celebrations happen. Whether it’s a “No More Chemo” cake or a cooking project to mark a recovery milestone, this space is all about the tastes of home. It’s where kids use culinary creativity to celebrate their victories, big and small.

The Spa, a positive image space, offers a haircut or a moment of relaxation to help a patient feel like themselves again. After all, healing is more than physical.

A Medical Play Station is where we bridge the gap between fear and understanding. By using interactive technology and immersive digital tools, we allow kids to explore medical concepts through play. It turns intimidating equipment into a hands-on learning experience.

The Tot Space is a vibrant world for the tiniest warriors. From the cause-and-effect magic of the ball wall to the sensory exploration of our interactive water table, this space is all about hitting early milestones through discovery.

The Sensory Room is a quiet sanctuary with an interactive sensory wall and calming lights for those who need to reset and recharge.

Champions for Child Life

Since 1999, Teammates for Kids has invested in these supportive spaces and has collaborated with local donors, celebrities, and professional athletes to highlight the pediatric hospitals in their Child Life Zone. This $4.7M project was funded through a collaborative effort by Teammates for Kids and generous donors to St. Louis Children’s. Thank you to the following donors who contributed to the Child Life Zone:

• Paul and Amy Goldschmidt

William T. Kemper Foundation

Dietra and Jim Lewis Family

Interco Charitable Trust

• Kyle and Amy Cordes Family

• Spire

• St. Louis Blues

• St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development and Friends Boards

Laila: then and now

Laila’s journey with a rare genetic diagnosis changed her life since undergoing a lifesaving bone marrow transplant at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Nine years after undergoing treatment for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) Laila was awarded the Heart of Gold award—established in 1997 as the highest form of recognition for donors to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Recipients have made significant contributions to St. Louis Children’s and demonstrated personal involvement in the mission. In addition, their gifts of time and resources must elevate the quality of care available at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

I support St. Louis Children’s because I see kids who haven’t made it out like I have. If my sharing my journey can help just one person, it makes sense. Generous donations allowed me to thrive inside the hospital, and I’m so thankful to be helping to raise funds for the place that saved my life.

My advice for other kids going through treatment is that your attitude will guide you in everything. The medicine heals you, but, at the end of the day, that stuff won’t work if you don’t let it. Be open and believe in yourself.

This year has been incredible for me. From the induction into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame to being chosen as the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Heart of Gold recipient, I’m blessed to have so many people who love and care for me. It’s an honor to be able to give my time to guarantee the best care available at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Laila received the Heart of Gold award on May 28, 2026, during a ceremony that included her family, friends, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital supporters.

Then now

Completing her “to-do” list from Child Life Services each day while in isolation that allowed her to receive rewards from Amazon to keep her busy

Proudest Moment

St. Louis Children’s turkey burgers or a combo of blueberry yogurt and goldfish crackers

favorite meal

How she handles herself and the ability to juggle academics with what she chooses to do outside of school, and how she can be herself

Wednesday Bingo sponsored by Child Life Services and building Lego sets

favorite way to spend time

“You don’t have a choice—you just do it. My life was paused, and I knew there would be an un-pause at some point. But I knew if I had a positive attitude, it would get better. I had a great support system with my family, and my friends were just one text away.”

mindset

Mexican food, including chicken soft tacos, and chips and salsa

Girls’ days with coffee, going to Blues games, and spending time with her dog and family

“I still have challenges, but I still have my support system. The girl I was before the hospital, I don’t even know her anymore. I’m not in that same survival mode, but the girl who was in that hospital taught me so much. I enjoy life so much more than I ever did before. I keep her spirit with me.”

Community Support Fuels Healing

Generosity in action helps fuel brighter futures for children receiving care at St. Louis Children’s

At St. Louis Children’s Hospital, hope is more than a feeling—it’s a promise. It’s found in every lifesaving treatment, every compassionate caregiver, and every family who walks through our doors seeking answers. During the inaugural St. Louis Children’s Hospital Giving Week, that promise was strengthened by a community that came together to support children and families when they needed it most.

Held May 4–8, 2026, Giving Week raised more than $113,000. The weeklong initiative invited local businesses, organizations, employees, and customers to join forces in support of the hospital’s mission to do what’s right for kids.

Participating companies helped launch the effort

Giving Week Patient Ambassador Kaitlin and her parents have faced every challenge together, finding hope and healing at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

by encouraging employees to make one-time gifts, with many organizations amplifying their impact through matching donations. Businesses across the region also found creative ways to engage their customers, from donating a portion of sales to offering special promotions and fundraising initiatives. Together, these efforts demonstrated the power of a community united around a common purpose: helping more than 275,000 children each year receive the exceptional care at St. Louis Children’s they deserve.

The impact of Giving Week is best reflected in the patients and families who rely on St. Louis Children’s Hospital every day. Giving Week Patient Ambassador Kaitlin is a shining example of the hope and healing made possible through expert care and community support.

Born with bilateral club feet, Kaitlin was later diagnosed with distal spinal muscular atrophy (DSMA), a rare condition affecting her lower extremities and vocal cords. Throughout her life, she and her family have traveled from Illinois to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for specialized care, surgeries, and rehabilitation. Most recently, she underwent a complex spinal procedure and, after intensive therapy, has returned to living an active lifestyle.

Chosen as the face of Giving Week because of her incredible strength and resilience, Kaitlin is proof of the life-changing care, programs, and services made possible through the generosity of donors and supporters.

If Kaitlin’s journey teaches us anything, it’s that hope is stronger than the obstacles we face, resilience can overcome extraordinary odds, and, together, we can help write more stories of healing for generations of children to come.