The Pumpkin Hunters Association is Proud to support Located in Rochester, NY, USA Donate Today!

My Personal Experience: My son Teddy was born with various speech, sensory and motor delays. He entered the Early Intervention program at 20 months old to address his various needs. He received occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy to assist him with his delays and improve his skills. At age 2, Early Intervention and his therapists agreed that Teddy needed a thorough evaluation to understand what his delays were and how to properly address them. My wife and I were referred to the Andrew J. Kirch Center at Golisano Children’s Hospital for this evaluation. Teddy was evaluated by an extensive team at the center and we were able to understand what Teddy’s delays were, how to deal with them effectively, and how to properly advocate for Teddy. Being only 2 at the time, Teddy was not the most tolerant and cooperative when it came to being tested. The staff at the center understood this and adapted to meet Teddy’s needs and tolerances. Due to the evaluation, we were able to properly advocate for Teddy and get him the services he needed, so he could move forward. The process showed us how to help Teddy grow and learn in an effective way. He is now in fourth grade in his home school. He is in a special education classroom with even more instances of inclusion. He has grown so much since his first evaluation at the Kirch center. Teddy's mother and I are thankful to everyone at Golisano Children's Hospital for their guidance, patience and support for Teddy. Our family found the need for GCH at Strong services earlier this year with our second son, Maxwell. At three months old, little Max came down with an infant viral infection in his lungs (known as RSV) that he couldn't clear. The infection is something we adults know as the common cold, but little babies cannot fend it off like we can. We ended up taking the little baby to the emergency room at Strong where they admitted us into GCH. While living (and yes, I mean living) at the hospital waiting for this infection to clear up, the staff at GCH were very supportive, upbeat, and caring for all of us during this difficult time. Nurse Amy took it upon herself to make sure that Max was taken care of during his stay and even made sure that our elder son, Teddy, understood what was happening with his baby brother. Enough cannot be said about the wonderful work they do at the Golisano Children's Hospital. This organization is truly worthy of the attention and support from the Upstate New York community and the entire country.

Again this year, the Pumpkin Hunters Association is placing information and donation links on our website to support the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong Memorial. It is our way of thanking them for the work they do today and the work they’ll do tomorrow. We plan to make their cause a part of our annual event for as long as they wish to be affiliated the Halloween loving Pumpkin Hunters. You can visit them today at their website: WWW.GCHAS.ORG

Here are some Key facts about the hospital: Located within Strong Memorial Hospital, the 124-bed Golisano Children’s Hospital is devoted to the medical needs of infants, children and adolescents. Serving as the referral center for all seriously ill or injured children from the 17-county Finger Lakes region, the hospital is committed to treating all children, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Golisano Children’s Hospital is one of 170 Children’s Hospitals affiliated with the national, not-for-profit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), so 100 percent of your donation works locally, to bring the finest health care to the kids in your home community. Golisano Children’s Hospital is named in honor of B. Thomas Golisano, one of Rochester’s generous philanthropists. The founder of Paychex Inc., Golisano provided the all-time largest gift ($14 million) ever given to the University of Rochester by a living donor. Golisano Children’s Hospital is home to 49 pediatric residents, 22 pediatric fellows, 137 M.D., PhD, or MD/PhD—110 of these physicians have secondary appointments. Andrew J. Kirch Developmental Services Center at Golisano Children’s Hospital is a multidisciplinary program providing quality, individualized evaluation and services to children with developmental delays and disabilities. Services include clinical evaluations (Early Intervention Core and Supplement evaluations, diagnostic evaluations, educational and psychological testing, etc.), direct help to families, technical assistance and consultation to the community, and training professionals in the care of children with developmental disabilities. For addition facts, please click here…

To Donate to the Hospital - - Please visit their website (www.gchas.org) and Click Donate