PALO ALTO, Calif-- It’s a happening like no other. This Saturday (28), Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is holding its annual “Liver and Small Bowel Transplant Reunion.”
 
Over 75 kids and their very thankful families are arriving from all over the Western region to not just connect some very unique memories, but to also celebrate the wonder of transplant. “This year’s event is even bigger than last year’s,” said Debra Strichartz, RN, manager of the pediatric liver and intestinal transplant program at Packard Children’s. Kicking off at 9:30am with a breakfast for all, the reunion then moves into high gear with physician speakers, parent and family discussion groups, kid activities, and a concert by children’s entertainer Wiley Rankin. (PS: Don’t tell anyone, but word is the kids are bringing pre- and post-transplant pics to submit for a special movie being produced in honor of Kenneth Cox, MD, chief medical officer at the hospital).
 
“It’s really an emotional and happy time for everyone,” added Strichartz, who also coordinates the transplant program’s outreach to places such as Washington State and New Mexico. “Not only do families bond over their shared experience, but they enjoy reuniting with caregivers. And, it’s a way for everyone to give thanks for the miracle of transplant. These kids are proof that organ donation saves lives.”

When:	Saturday, July 28, 9:30am-2:00pm
Where:	Fairchild Auditorium – Stanford Campus

(Fairchild Auditorium is located at 291 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA. Directions are at http://www.lpch.org/pdf/fairchildDirections.pdf).
 
About Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report and Child magazine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is a 264-bed hospital devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers. Providing pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services and associated with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Packard Children's offers patients locally, regionally and nationally the full range of health care programs and services - from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, visit http://www.lpch.org.