Guardian Society: Protecting Generations of Children

 Nearly 100 attendees gathered at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, for the 8th Guardian Society Annual Luncheon on April 16, in celebration of those who have committed to help future generations of children through a legacy gift. Members of The Guardian Society have included Children’s National in their wills or other planned legacy gifts, making an important and thoughtful statement of their values. “I’ve always thought the members of The Guardian Society have a particularly special relationship with our institution,” said Dr. Kurt Newman, president and CEO. “When you make a legacy gift, you help us plan for the future health needs of children. There’s never been a more exciting time to be in the field of pediatric medicine and, with supporters like you, there’s so much more we can do.” 

He then introduced Dr. Catherine Bollard, pioneer in the field of immunotherapies and director of Children’s National’s Program for Cell Enhancement and Technologies for Immunotherapy. As experts in cell therapies, her team’s research has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat cancer and other viruses. Specifically, she is focused on T-cell therapy, which trains naturally occurring T-cells in the body to kill the cancer without the toxic side effects associated with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. “Children’s National is one of the few hospitals in the world to offer cellular therapy to treat life-threatening infections in patients with immune deficiencies," said Dr. Bollard, "as well as preventing or treating relapse in children with cancer. T-cell therapy tackles the immediate problem and also aims to protect patients for the rest of their lives.” For more information about planned giving and The Guardian Society, contact Cindy Barrington.