Photo courtesy of Turner Universal
Junior League pledges $2 million to support maternal-fetal care
The Junior League of Nashville (JLN) has pledged $2 million over the next six years to the Center for Advanced Maternal-Fetal Care at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The JLN established its Home for Crippled Children in 1924, which five decades later became Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.
The women's organization is committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
“The Center for Advanced Maternal-Fetal Care beautifully fits our mission of helping women, children and families,” said Mary Lee Bartlett, outgoing Junior League president.
“Drs. Ed Yang and Nancy Chescheir are so passionate about the center and the possibilities it holds for the future of children.”
Only a few large centers of this kind exist in the country. Children's Hospital's center is only one of three currently involved in the only National Institutes of Health-funded trial on fetal surgery. The funding will help in part to create a better infrastructure for current and future research.
“This gift from the Junior League of Nashville takes us from the launching pad to the next level,” said Chescheir, chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Yang, director of the Center for Advanced Maternal-Fetal Care, added, “It's an incredibly generous gift and it demonstrates the dedication of the Junior League of Nashville for improving both maternal and child care in Nashville.
“Their gift will enable us to see more patients, to understand our patient population better and devise new ways to help them.”