Children’s Hospital Los Angeles locked in a record-breaking $1.35 billion during its 125th Anniversary Campaign, marking the largest fundraising drive in the medical center's history. The capital influx—fuelled by thousands of private donors, philanthropic foundations, and corporate partners—will directly underwrite paediatric clinical care, biomedical research, and training programmes.
Campaign co-chairs Nikki DeLoach and Jeffrey Worthe led the multi-year effort alongside honorary chairs Jimmy Kimmel, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Chuck Lorre. The final tally shattered all previous institutional records.
"Thanks to the remarkable generosity of our supporters, CHLA will continue to be at the forefront of paediatric medicine, accelerate scientific discoveries and ensure children have access to world-class care for generations to come," said Paul S. Viviano, president and chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The institution’s footprint today stands in sharp contrast to its beginnings. When the hospital opened in 1901 inside a modest residential house, a solitary doctor treated just 14 young patients, travelling between house calls on horseback. Today, the medical complex oversees more than 750,000 patient visits annually, drawing families from all 50 US states and more than 90 countries.
Medical milestones drove the expansion. In 1930, surgical teams performed the first paediatric heart operation on the West Coast. The hospital opened a comprehensive paediatric cancer facility in 1978, later expanding it into one of the earliest and largest CAR T-cell therapy centres in the United States. By 1993, laboratory teams had launched early gene therapy trials targeting rare, inherited immune disorders.
Donors and civic leaders gathered at The Event Deck at L.A. LIVE to mark the fundraising milestone. Host Gina Rodriguez opened proceedings by detailing her family's direct link to the hospital after surgeons at the Neurological Institute treated her daughter, Lucy. Musician Michael Bublé closed the evening with a headline set.
Paul S. Viviano presented The Courage to Care Award to radio host Ellen K, who has raised more than $4 million through KOST 103.5’s annual Giving Tuesday broadcast following her son Calvin's emergency treatment. Benefactors Kourtney and Justin Turner also took home the honour after a decade of volunteering and patient advocacy through the Justin Turner Foundation.
Campaign proceeds will immediately flow into CHLA’s flagship departments, including the Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center, which is preparing to expand surgical capacity across its paediatric spine, neuromuscular, and sports medicine divisions.