Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Annual Guild Luncheon

Dr. Gordon Cohen

Today was the annual Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association Luncheon at the Westin Hotel. It was a wonderful event, and this was my first year attending. Friends & family (guild members) came from Poulsbo, Bainbridge, Arlington and Seattle to support our guild and the event.
Thank you all!

One of the highlights, for me, was hearing Dr. Gordon Cohen (pictured above), who performed the cardiac part of Katie's life-saving surgery. Dr. Cohen is a genius and a warm and kind human being.
I love him.
He is the surgeon who took the tumor out of Katie's heart, and gave her sub-cutaneous (under the skin) stitches, so the scarring was minimal on her chest. That meant that she could wear a bathing suit or t-shirt with very little evidence that she had had major surgery. To a 12 year-old girl, that has meaning.

Dr. Cohen is making wonderful changes and progress for children with heart issues right here in our Pacific Northwest.
Paul & me

We were seated with some wonderful Guild Association luminaries, and with Paul (Mooselips) Dudley, the Master of Ceremonies (maybe that's because his wife is a member of our guild). Anyway, it was a great table:
Julie, Denise & Heidi (Mrs. Mooselips)

Mom, Linda (my sister-in-law, and our guild's treasurer) & me

We shopped at the booths of other guilds and bought some things they were selling (a fleece vest for me and raffle tickets for mom). We heard inspiring stories of fundraising success, fellowship, innovation and progress. We heard about medical advances that need and deserve to be funded.

I am so excited by what I heard, and grateful for Seattle Children's Hospital, its dedicated staff and their love for our kids!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wish I could have come! I love Children's, too.

If you ever want the recipe for homemade Swedish pancakes that we use, let me know. xo L. in Alaska

Elizabeth said...

Do you realize that you just GLOW in every single photo? It sounds like a wonderful luncheon -- thank you for telling us about it. (And I'm busy knitting the softest, pink baby blanket for Katie's guild!) It's so nice to think of her while I do it.

Gberger said...

Elizabeth, you are so kind.
Now that the exchange students have returned home, I have one more speaking engagement before I can start working on Sophie's quilt. I wish we lived closer to each other and could make these blankets together!

Busy Bee Suz said...

What a wonderful event. That Dr. does sound amazing Karen.
I just can't get past: Mrs. Mooselips. So funny!!!

Mary Potts said...

Thank God for brilliant, compassionate physicians, advances in treatments and generous people who support all these vital causes.

Gabriele Sanchez said...

I am enjoying your blog very much. I'm slowly working my way through your archives. My son just finished treatment at Texas Children's for medulloblastoma. We were there for 8 months and have been home two weeks now. He's doing so well. Thank you God!

We're hoping to move to the Seattle area in the next couple of years. It's so encouraging to know that there is such strong community support for pediatric research and for the children going through treatment. I look forward to being part of that support!

Gberger said...

Gabrielle,
I'm so thankful that you are at home now with your son, and that he is doing well!
Our hospital is fantastic. We have wonderful doctors & staff here, The resources of Seattle Children's Hospital, Fred Hutchinson CRC and the Univ. of WA is a powerful combination.

Me said...

Such a wonderful group of loving, caring, compassionate people. Especially the little ladies at table 6!

XOXO

Gberger said...

Laura, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! Just wish we could have had you at our table! Heidi said she wished we could all have gone out afterward; we'll have to arrange that another time. Everyone loved seeing you. XOXO

Karen said...

So you attended the luncheon at which our friends, Jared and Alana, shared the story of their baby Kaia. Such a small world. And the same cardiac specialist. Our other friends living in Poulsbo are the Bonsells. Perhaps you know them as well. I feel even more connected to you now with all these extra links.