LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville has received more than a half-million dollars in grant funding this year from the WHAS Crusade for Children. The awards announced today help fund direct patient care as well as much-needed equipment purchases so UofL can continue providing the best possible care to children who have special needs.
UofL programs supported by the $565,780 from the Crusade this year again include several offered at the Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center (WCEC). Also, this year’s funds will help UofL purchase specialized equipment such as defibrillators, audiometers and more.
“The WHAS Crusade for Children has been very generous to the University of Louisville, giving more than $20 million to the university since the Crusade was founded in 1954,” said UofL President James R. Ramsey. “Their support helps us care for our most precious patients, our children.”
“The WHAS Crusade for Children is extremely grateful to the Kentuckiana community, whose generosity allows us to provide area agencies with funds to help children who have special needs. We are proud of our partnership with the University of Louisville, one of the largest grant recipients each year, and appreciate their commitment to the children we serve,” Dawn Lee, president and CEO of the Crusade, said.
“As I travel throughout the Commonwealth, meeting with pediatricians to learn how UofL can help them, I’ve found that their top concerns are related to children with neurological conditions and complex behavioral and developmental disorders,” Dr. Gerard Rabalais, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UofL, said. “Crusade for Children has stepped up once again to help us address those very real needs.”
More than half of the funding received helps support the Weisskopf Center, established for children who have special needs. At the WCEC, children with developmental, learning and behavioral disorders like autism receive diagnostic and intervention services. Genetic evaluation and counseling also are provided to children and adults who have or are at risk of having a birth defect or genetic disorder.
In addition to direct patient services, WCEC also provides training to professionals and community advocacy. Throughout the year, professionals from many different areas rotate through the center, providing them an opportunity to have a hands-on rotation with a special-needs population. The center also collaborates with professionals in the community to better serve children with special needs and their families.
Other support from the Crusade for Children will help the university evaluate children with asthma and hearing disabilities and provide defibrillators, aspirators, wheelchairs, audiometers, hematology analysis and exam beds in several pediatrics areas. Additionally, the UofL College of Education and Human Development received funding to support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for special education teacher training.