Funds from her gift have supported important advancements in VUMC’s war on COVID

In the thick of the pandemic, friends are as important as ever. Since 1972, Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a volunteer organization, has been supporting the hospital through fundraising, outreach and patient and family programs.

Donna and Jeffrey Eskind, whose generous gifts have advanced Vanderbilt research that is improving lives, have made a new commitment of $2 million to endow a new chair in autism spectrum disorder research in the School of Medicine.

With large in-person gatherings and fundraising events on currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses and organizations are finding new ways to support Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt University was recently awarded the 2020 Community Service Award by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Fiesta Bowl for its Dancing Dores program and Dance Marathon. Both programs raise funds for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Grammy Award-winning country music artist Kix Brooks is the new chair of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Advisory Board, taking over for outgoing chair Allison DeMarcus. Louise Adams, who succeeds Judge Les Smith, was recently named the chair of the Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) Advisory Board.