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We are Making a Difference Together

Connecticut Children’s Connection members help our physician-researchers unlock medical mysteries, not only for the patients and families in our community who depend on Connecticut Children’s, but also for grateful patients around the globe.
 

Make a Gift

Upcoming Events

Experience Connecticut Children's impact through member-only events and networking opportunities.

  • OCTOBER 23 - Member Welcome Reception
    All members are invited to attend.
     
  • NOVEMBER 18 - Experience the Mission: Virtual and Hard Hat Tour of Connecticut Children's Expansion Project
    This opportunity is an exclusive membership benefit for Ambassador, Visionary and Luminary Members.

Funding Selection Announcement | 2024

Hala Saneh, MD, Neonatologist

Meet Our All-Stars

Facing the Future with Positivity and Laughter

Meet Jackson, an eleven-year-old who loves slapstick comedy, funny books, cars and trains. Jackson was born with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic condition that affects the central and peripheral nervous system. MLD causes a progressive decline in motor and cognitive functions, so Jackson and his family face a future filled with many unknowns. Read Jackson’s story and discover how he and his parents keep their focus set on hope, acceptance and positivity.

Read Jackson's Story
Jackson C. | 2024 All-Star

Strong-willed and Resilient in the Face of a Rare GI Disorder

Meet Gracyn, a seven-year-old born with a condition so rare that only about 100 kids in the U.S. are diagnosed with it each year. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) means that the nerves and muscles in Gracyn’s intestines don’t work properly, preventing food, fluids and air from moving through her body. Although she has been hospitalized more than 20 times, Gracyn remains a spirited and spunky personality. Read more about Gracyn’s complex and remarkable care journey, as well as the challenges she continues to face.

Read Gracyn's Story
Gracyn G. | 2024 All-Star

A Quick Wit and an Infectious Laugh

Meet Declan, a six-year-old who doesn’t let a rare congenital condition dim his sense of humor or keep him from hitting new milestones. Declan was born with a small hole in his heart, known as a ventricular septal defect, and Dandy Walker syndrome. Fewer than 50,000 people in the United States have Dandy Walker syndrome, which affects the part of the brain that controls movement and balance. Read Declan’s story to learn how he and his family are overcoming the challenges of a rare illness.

Read Declan's Story
Declan L. | 2024 All-Star

A Big Problem in a Tiny Heart

When Junior was born, in the fall of 2019, he was at 27 weeks’ gestation and weighed two pounds. Most of his organs were still developing, and he faced many health challenges. But perhaps the biggest was his heart. The valve between the two major arteries, which is open while a baby is in the womb, had failed to close, and blood was going to the wrong places. Connecticut Children’s interventional cardiologists were able to use a catheter to place a tiny mesh coil—the smallest such device ever placed in the state—to close off the opening and get his heart working right. Today, Telmo is thriving, a lively, loving three-year-old.

Read Junior's Story
Junior C. | All-Star Class of 2022

2024 Steering Committee Co-Chairs

Benjamin Jensen, Esq.
Partner, Robinson & Cole, LLC

Brian Keena
Managing Director, Construction, Energy and Marine, Travelers

2024 Committee Members

Nell Acosta
Annual Funding Selection Event Co-Chair
Community Volunteer

Natalie Bezler, MD
Physician, Connecticut Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders

Nina Camarata
Grateful Parent, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
Account Manager, Aetna

Jordan Coe
Grateful Parent, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
President/Owner, Waverly Markets, LLC (d.b.a. ShopRite)

Caitlin Collazo
Community Volunteer

Chris Collazo
Global Solution Consulting Leader, Service Now

Jesse Costa
Membership Co-Chair
Grateful Parent, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
Senior Litigation Paralegal, Travelers

Lindsay David
Grateful Parent, Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders

Amanda Dibble, CFP, QPFC
Annual Funding Selection Event Co-Chair
Financial Advisor, The Barnes-Reid-Walz Group at Morgan Stanley

Marcus Ferguson
AVP & Assistant General Counsel, Government Relations, The Hartford

Lianne Gabriele
Grateful Parent, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
Senior Director of Marketing Yale Locks, Fortune Brands Innovations

Kimberly Gordon
Volunteer and Experience the Mission Events Co-Chair
Grateful Parent, Cardiology;
Community Volunteer

William Gray
Marketing, Communications and Education Co-Chair
Senior Director, Technology, Cigna

Greg Hammond
Marketing, Communications and Education Co-Chair
CEO, Financial Coach, Hammond Iles Wealth Advisors

Margaret Lallier
Membership Co-Chair
Grateful Parent, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
Marketing and Social Media, AllWaste, Inc.

Amarpreet Lyall
Senior Finance Manager, Pratt & Whitney

Krissy Morales
Volunteer and Experience the Mission Events Co-Chair
AVP, Strategic Planning and Execution – Bond and Specialty Insurance, Travelers

Anne Martha Pitegoff
Community Volunteer


Luminary Members

Mr. Laurence H. Smead
Dr. Catherine B. Stevenson and Mr. Keith A. Stevenson
 

Are You Ready to Connect for Our Children?

Connect

Join a community of members dedicated to providing the care children and families deserve.

Be Inspired

Experience Connecticut Children's impact through events and networking opportunities.

Impact

Be the driving force behind world-class research happening now at Connecticut Children's.
Connecticut Children's Foundation | Connection

Join the Membership Class of 2024 - 2025

Welcoming members during our annual membership drive, May 1 - August 30, 2024, all members receive:

  • An invitation to our annual Membership Campaign Kickoff and Member Welcome receptions with Connecticut Children's leadership, clinicians and researchers
  • Access to member-only "Eat, Drink, Connect" social and networking opportunities at venues such as Hops on the Hill
  • Monthly insider access e-communications
  • Invitation to virtual “Lunch with a Researcher”, "Ask the Experts" webinars or virtual access to our Funding Selection Event
  • Unique opportunity to connect with individuals dedicated to fueling pediatric research that creates better outcomes for children
  • Additional opportunities are provided based on your level of commitment.

If you are interested in becoming a Visionary Member, and would like to fulfill your commitment via installments, please contact connection [at] connecticutchildrens.org (subject: Visionary_Installment_Inquiry) (Bree Pelczar).

$1,800 Couple / $1,000 Individual

  • Insider opportunity to hear from promising researchers and direct how research funds are invested at annual member-only funding selection event
  • Invitation to VIP reception with Connecticut Children's leadership, clinicians and researchers
  • Recognition on Connecticut Children’s Connection webpage and internal research-centric communications
  • Additional benefits listed above

$500

  • Invitation to Visionary/Ambassador-only "Experience the Mission" events like private tours, talks and roundtables with physicians and patient families
  • Opportunity to tour Connecticut Children’s with a guest
  • Connecticut Children’s Connection swag
  • Additional benefits listed above

$250

  • Access to member-only social and networking opportunities at Connecticut Valley Brewing, Elizabeth Park, Farmington Polo Grounds and Hops on the Hill
  • Monthly "Ask the Experts" webinars and insider access e-communications
  • Additional benefits listed above