PRESS RELEASE: 14 SEPTEMBER 2023

NEW YORK: PATRONS OF BAMBINO GESÙ HOSPITAL TO BE GUEST AT THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE

Patrons of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital is a non-profit organization aimed at supporting the humanitarian projects of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in the United States. In this spirit, it will join the Clinton Global Initiative 2023, that will start in New York on Monday, 18 September with a special remote meeting between President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis.

Established a few months ago as a Corporation, Patrons of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital aims at helping the Hospital of the Holy See, at raising awareness on its mission, and at supporting its humanitarian activities, international projects and some special projects, like the Pediatric Palliative Care Center dedicated to incurable children.

Every year, hundreds of children from all over the world, suffering from very severe conditions, are admitted and treated free of charge at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. In addition to them, in the last 18 months, over two thousand Ukrainian patients, forced to leave their country to escape war, have been treated and hosted, together with their families.

Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital takes part in healthcare training projects in 16 countries around the world – from South America to the Far East, as well as Middle East and Africa – aimed at allowing less developed countries to respond to the demand for health and to the local needs, because only the human and professional growth of local healthcare professionals – doctors and nurses – can bring about significant and lasting changes in the care of children. The projects are based on specific agreements signed with the governments or the health institutions of the different States, also involving international humanitarian organizations.

The special projects of the Hospital supported by the Patrons include the completion of the new Pediatric Palliative Care Center, inaugurated in 2022 in Passoscuro, on the coast of Lazio region, dedicated to children and adolescents with rare and incurable diseases, and with complex care needs. To date, the center has hosted over 300 patients and their families.

All the projects, the international activities, the humanitarian care, and the completion of the Pediatric Palliative Care Center require substantial financial support (approximately 8 million euros) as they are funded exclusively through fundraising. This is the reason why Patrons of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital was established, to bring such needs to the attention of the international audience of the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Meeting.

“In the field of health, today more than ever, the first and most concrete form of charity is science, the ability to treat, which however must be offered to everyone, to the poor and the marginalized, and not only to those who can afford it [...] The dream of Bambino Gesù Hospital, the dream of the Pope, is to help bring science and humanity to all children with very severe diseases who need to be treated.” (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 7 September 2022).

To learn more: https://bambinogesupatrons.org/