Congratulations to Eli Manning and the entire New York Giants team!  To many, Eli Manning is a football superstar and a famous quarterback. But, to children throughout Mississippi, he is a hero. At the Eli Manning Children’s Clinics at Batson Children’s Hospital, children from around the state receive world class care every day.  The doctors and staff enjoy the big, bright new space and children have enough room to run around.  These new clinics would not have been possible without a five year commitment between Eli Manning, BankPlus and Friends of Children’s Hospital.  So, with heartfelt thanks from all the children you have helped at Batson Children’s Hospital, we wish you CONGRATULATIONS on winning the BIG game.

Front row from left - Eric Peters, David Ferris, Bill Latham, Rob Armour, Jackie Petrus, Leigh Reeves, Brenda Hayes-Williams and Dr. Bob Abney. Back row from left - Tara Chez Britton, Andy Nesenson, Bruce Leach, Stephen Krueger

Babalu owner Bill Latham and his staff presented a check for $6,100 to Friends representatives on January 19.  These funds represent the campaign put together by Babalu and Table 100 to donate 10% of all gift cards purchased during the holiday season to Friends.  Bill and his staff at both restaurants worked to promote the campaign to all their customers.

“We are just glad to help,” said Bill Latham, “We have had a phenomenal year and everyone wanted to give back to children’s hospital.”

Thank you to everyone who purchased a gift card during the holiday season at Babalu and Table 100.  Your gift truly made a difference as it helped the more than 150,000 children treated at Batson Children’s Hospital annually.

Pictured from left – Dora the Explorer; Bryan Jones, Senior Executive Vice President for BankPlus; Leigh Reeves, President-Elect for Friends of Children’s Hospital; Guy Giesecke, CEO of Batson Children’s Hospital and Friends board member; Dr. Rick Barr, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Friends board member; John Scarbrough, Friends board member; Donna Windsor, Friends board member and SpongeBob SquarePants.

With the help of Nickelodeon stars Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, BankPlus presented a check for $13,194 to Friends of Children’s Hospital, representing the first month’s proceeds from the bank’s Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard program.

“At Batson Children’s Hospital and UMMC, we are so thankful for the generous support of BankPlus and their customers,” said Dr. Rick Barr, Suzan B. Thames Chair of Pediatrics, “The funds raised through the BankPlus Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard program will definitely assist us in our mission of providing the best health care to the children in Mississippi. Community support is so vital to everything we do. As a BankPlus customer, I love using my Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard every day, knowing that each transaction helps heal kids at Batson Children’s Hospital.”

BankPlus introduced the charitable option for consumers in November; returning  proceeds from the Friends CheckCard directly to Friends of Children’s Hospital. The Friends CheckCard program is the first of its kind for both BankPlus and Friends.  Please visit your local BankPlus branch to pick up your Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard today.

“We are pleased to partner with Friends of Children’s Hospital on this exciting project and are thrilled it is off to a successful start,” said Bryan Jones, BankPlus Senior Executive Vice President.  “We think Mississippians are generous and caring people who will be interested in supporting Batson Children’s Hospital, Mississippi’s only hospital designed specifically to treat sick and injured children, by purchasing the Friends of Children’s Hospital debit card for only $12 per year.”

After the check presentation, Children’s Hospital patients were able to enjoy a rare public appearance by Nickelodeon stars Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. The characters made a stop at the Children’s Hospital on their way to the BankPlus Racing Vehicle Extravaganza at the Mississippi Trademart.

Babalu is located in the Historic Duling School in Fondren

612 Duling Avenue in Jackson, MS

601-366-5757

Table 100 is located in Lakeland Commons

100 Ridge Way in Flowood, MS

601-420-4202

“This is another example of how our partnership with BankPlus continues to help move Friends forward,” said Leigh Reeves, incoming President for Friends. “We are grateful to BankPlus for this opportunity, and innovative way to generate funds and additional exposure for our organization.”

“Batson Children’s Hospital is the only Children’s Hospital in Mississippi and our mission is to provide the highest quality medical care for all children in our state,” said Dr. Frederick E. (Rick) Barr, MD MSc, Suzan B Thames Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at Batson Children’s Hospital. “We are very fortunate to have such great partners in that mission like BankPlus and Friends of Children’s Hospital. Without this kind of generous support, we would not be able to provide the level of care our children deserve. On behalf of Batson Children’s and the children of Mississippi, a huge thank you goes out to BankPlus, its customers and Friends of Children’s Hospital.”

BankPlus customers can pay $12 per year for a Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard. The $12 will be donated directly to Friends to benefit Batson Children’s Hospital, and BankPlus will match 100% of the $12 donation up to $48,000 per year.

In addition, Friends will benefit each time Friends cardholders use the card, as BankPlus will donate $.05 per transaction to Friends.  The Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard works just like any other BankPlus CheckCard or other-brand debit card.

“We are pleased to partner with Friends of Children’s Hospital on this exciting project,” said Bill Ray, BankPlus Preisdent & CEO.  “We think Mississippians are generous and caring people who will be interested in supporting Batson Children’s Hospital, Mississippi’s only hospital designed specifically to treat sick and injured children, by purchasing the Friends of Children’s Hospital debit card for only $12 per year.”

The Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard is available via instant issue at BankPlus offices statewide. Any current BankPlus customer can switch from their free BankPlus CheckCard to the Friends CheckCard. New BankPlus customers can choose the Friends CheckCard when opening their checking account.

In addition to the Friends CheckCard, BankPlus will also offer Friends of Children’s Hospital Checks. The Friends Checks cost $20 per order, $10 of which will benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital.

The Friends CheckCard and Check Program represent the first partnership of its kind for BankPlus. However, BankPlus has a longstanding relationship with Friends of Children’s Hospital including partnerships on projects such as An Evening with the Mannings, Presented by BankPlus; The Enchanted Evening Under the Stars Gala, Presented by BankPlus; and other fundraising projects.

About BankPlus

BankPlus, with total assets of more than $2.2 billion, has over 60 banking offices in 33 Mississippi communities. In addition to its Belzoni Main Office, other BankPlus offices are located in Bentonia, Brandon, Byram, Canton, Clinton, D’Iberville, Durant, Flora, Flowood, Gluckstadt, Hernando, Holly Bluff, Horn Lake, Isola, Jackson, Lexington, Madison, Meridian, Newton, Olive Branch, Pearl, Picayune, Pickens, Poplarville, Quitman, Ridgeland, Shubuta, Southaven, Stonewall, Tchula, Waynesboro, and Yazoo City. For additional information on BankPlus, please visit www.BankPlus.net.

About Friends of Children’s Hospital

Friends of Children’s Hospital is a nonprofit organization created to benefit the Batson Hospital for Children, part of University of Mississippi Health Care. It was created by a group of dedicated members from around the state whose purpose is to support and promote the Batson Hospital for Children, Mississippi’s ONLY hospital designed and equipped specifically for the care and treatment of sick and injured children. The Batson Hospital prioritizes children’s care and places emphasis on the special needs of hospitalized children. The goal of Friends is to build a statewide base of community support in order to raise money for state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and services for all pediatric patients. Through volunteer efforts and contributions, members of Friends help the Children’s Hospital in its fight against childhood disease and injury.

The Child Life Program at Batson Children's Hospital uses a variety of models, toys, and dolls to help kids understand and prepare for medical procedures they will receive.

Imagine being a nine-year-old girl, or a fourteen-year-old boy. Your childhood is rolling along just fine. You go to school. You play with dolls or video games. You visit friends and play dodge ball. Then, one day, an adult tells you something is wrong. “You are sick. You have to go into the hospital. You are going to be there for a while, maybe a long time.”

Suddenly, it dawns on you: You aren’t going to see your friends; you aren’t going to school; you are going to be away from the familiar comforts of home.

Children who have experienced such things easily remember the day they received this kind of news. Some children report, “… it was the day my childhood ended.” Even as adults, we would not like to receive such news, but for hundreds upon hundreds of children each year in the state of Mississippi, this is their end of innocence. Times like this can be frightening.

“Hospitals can be a very overwhelming place for children and families,” says Tiffany Key, who has been a Certified Child Life Specialist at Batson Children’s Hospital since December 2010. “They are coming into an environment where there’s unknown terminology, things they don’t understand, and people are in and out of their room. Kids are seeing nurses in scrubs, doctors in white coats, and they are going through various treatments and procedures. It can be very scary. That is when Child Life comes in.”

Child Life Defined

Tiffany Key is one of the many team members that make the Child Life Program at Batson so effective. She works in the Pediatric Transitional Care Unit, the Pediatric Intensive Care Step-down Unit, and in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Other individuals vital to the program include: Michelle Revord, Director of Pediatric Education, Dr. Tishawn Thames, Child Life Coordinator; Ashley Prendez, CCLS in the Children’s Cancer Clinic); Courtney Carver, CCLS in Hematology / Oncology / Rehabilitation / Neurology / Rheumatology; Michelle Chambers, Child Life Assistant; Katie Boyles, CCLS for General Pediatrics and in the Artificial Kidney Unit; Amanda Waldrop, Child Life Assistant; Tara Rushing, CCLS for Post-Operative Surgery, the Cardiac Step-down Unit, and Pre-Op; and Bruce Beal, Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist for Children’s Rehab and Pediatric Intensive Care.

Child Life is an umbrella term for a spectrum of specialized pediatric services that focus on the psychosocial well-being of child-patients. Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) possess a deep understanding of the cognitive and physical development of children–including the needs and unique psychological changes that accompany different stages of development.

Child life specialists use a wide range of activities (appropriate for each age) to help support the child-patient to cope with hospitalization, medical procedures, extended illness, or even death and dying.

“As child life specialists, we view ourselves as partners in the medical healing,” Key says, “but we focus on emotional healing and helping kids and families get through the experience. We meet with the patient, assess how they are doing, and then we work closely with children in the development of coping plans. One of the greatest assets we have is the use of play. We use and focus on play for different reasons. Play has a real purpose and is invaluable with everything we do. Play is how children learn and how they express themselves and their feelings. It’s how they socialize and interact with others. You can learn a lot about children by watching them play.”

While play can be enriching and joyful in and of itself, in the hands of a masterful child life specialist, play is not “just play.” In the Child Life Program at Batson Children’s Hospital, play helps educate the child-patient about their condition, the procedures they will receive, and the specific medical devices and tools used in their procedures. Play, and what child life specialists call “medical play,” provides a hands-on way for children to become psychologically prepared for what can be a challenging situation for them.

“Medical play desensitizes them to the process. Part of the way we do this is through the use of real medical equipment,” Key explains. “When kids are ready, we let them manipulate the medical equipment, such as stethoscopes and IV tubes, and use blank dolls. We also have teaching dolls for kids with new diagnoses, to help illustrate for them what it means to receive a PICC Line (peripherally inserted central catheter), for instance. These dolls can be quite expensive ($350 – $1200), but they are vital to our process with the child. It gives them a sense of mastery of the situation, which leads them to feel more at ease with what they are experiencing. All of this is done in preparation for actual procedures, and a child life specialist accompanies them through every step of the experience.”

Child life specialists teach children to relax and breathe through procedures, use distraction methods to ease the stress of the child-patient, and provide follow-up after procedures to ensure that the child is doing well emotionally.  Additionally—knowing that a child being in the hospital impacts the whole family unit—child life specialists focus on normalizing the hospital experience for young children, teens, siblings, and parents alike through various events, like outings and pet therapy, and through other resources such as support groups for siblings, parents and teens (which recently created a “Teen Bill of Rights”).

These are just a few of the ways the Child Life Program at Batson provides care for families… families like the Moores of Newton, Mississippi.

Bravehearts: Saundra and Michael “Big Mike” Moore

In May of 2010, life became very complicated, very expensive, and very emotionally challenging for the Moore family of Newton, Mississippi. Michael “Big Mike’ Moore, 14, developed a painful bump on his chin. Some people thought it was a pimple. A fellow churchgoer suggested it might be a spider bite and to have it checked out.

Saundra Moore, Michael’s mother, took him to a physician in Newton. In addition to having high blood pressure, initial blood tests revealed that something was not right with Michael’s system. Doctors conducted further blood work and the Moores were sent home to wait.

“On May 10, 2010, we got a call and were told that Michael’s numbers were not good,” Saundra Moore remembers. “His had gone higher…much higher, and I knew what that meant automatically.” She knew what it meant because Saundra Moore already has her own health challenges that necessitate frequent dialysis.

Saundra and Michael immediately made the hour and a half trek from Newton to Batson Children’s Hospital. Michael spent four days in intensive care where the full reality of Michael’s condition became known. Michael’s kidneys were failing. He has been receiving dialysis ever since.

“It’s hard,” says Michael. “It’s hard on me and it’s hard on my mother too. She has to get her own dialysis. Then, even though she’s tired and weak, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we travel all the way from Newton to Jackson. It’s costing my mother $500 a month.”

To hear Saundra and Michael Moore speak of their daunting health challenges, one wonders how they can keep going. Saundra’s answer is clear: “Child Life.”

“Child Life has helped us get through,” Saundra Moore says, giving child life specialist, Tiffany Key, a hug. “I’m not going to lie. This has been hard. Some days you just want to give up. The other day, Michael broke down and said, ‘I’m just so tired of this.’ I told him I know because I am too, but it is what we have to do to survive. It is what we have to do right now, and I say ‘right now’ for Michael because he is on the list to get a kidney. One day he will get one, but even after he gets one, and gets better, we plan to come back over here to support the other kids here until they get better too.”

When asked about the time he spends with child life specialists at Batson, Michael’s face beams with a smile, “They make it fun. My favorite thing is playing UNO and beating Miss Tiffany in pool.”

From left: Mason Greene, Hotel & Restaurant Supply; Leigh Reeves, Friends board member; Andy Wilson, Underground 119; Andy Chapman, Eat Jackson; Dr. Bob Abney, Friends board member; Sara Ray, Chairman of the Board for Friends and Dr. Rick Barr, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Friends board member

The votes have been counted and Friends of Children’s Hospital has been declared the charity winner of Jackson Restaurant Week.  Jackson Restaurant Week, a campaign by Eat Jackson, was created to highlight local restaurants and their best dishes and ran October 2 – 8.  31 local restaurants participated in the inaugural event and each selected a special menu highlighting their best cuisine.  Patrons could dine for lunch or dinner for a special price and after dining received a ballot to vote for their favorite charity.  Friends, along with CARA (Community Animal Rescue and Adoption), The Mississippi Memorial Firefighter’s Burn Association, The Alzheimer’s Association and Parents for Public Schools, request more Arts were the five charities chosen by a special panel as finalists.  Each charity encouraged their supporters to eat out and vote.  More than 3,500 votes were cast during Jackson Restaurant Week and Friends won the $10,000 prize.

“We are so glad for Hotel and Restaurant Supply and all our other Sponsors who really helped make this week possible.  Our entire team worked really hard getting the word out about Jackson Restaurant Week.  The participating restaurants are great and we are glad to partner with each of the charities and help them get the word out about what they are doing,” said Andy Chapman with Eat Jackson.

Friends of Children’s Hospital board members gathered in the Batson Children’s Hospital lobby along with Eat Jackson representatives, event Sponsors and chefs from participating restaurants for a check presentation on Wednesday, November 19th.

“Friends of Children’s Hospital is so excited to win these funds from Jackson Restaurant Week,” said Sara Ray, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Friends of Children’s Hospital, ” Friends supports Batson Children’s Hospital, our state’s only children’s hospital and we are so glad for the community’s support of this event.  Thank you to all the restaurants, chefs, sponsors and Eat Jackson.”

http://www.countonemc.com/give/charity.asp?charity=40&CharityName=friends&CharityLocation=Select

It is the kind of story that could be a made-for-TV movie.

A baby boy is born six months premature. The newborn baby nearly dies. Against all odds, the infant pulls through. Despite surviving the challenging birth, the child faces a number of health challenges and numerous surgeries are required. The child endures.

The child grows into a determined young man who charts a course for a life of success. Having reached a pivotal point of notoriety and career achievements, the man uses his expertise, skills, and life position to give back to the community.

We could be talking about any number of heroes; in this case, meet master-chef Luis Bruno.

A Challenging Start

Luis “Louie” Bruno was born into a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx area of New York City.  After a difficult childhood in the inner city, at the age of 13, Bruno’s mother sent him to live with his brother in upstate New York. Bruno reflects:

“My childhood was bad. It was definitely rough. We were very poor and my single mother couldn’t afford taxi fares, so she carried me and walked to the hospital for all of my doctor visits and surgical procedures. In time, my mother decided I should go upstate and live with my brother to get a better education. I moved up there and life was pretty much just school and working in our family businesses, which included a mini-supermarket, a pizzeria, and then, by the time I was 18, we had launched a small restaurant. It was then that I began to develop what would become one of my central passions in life: cooking.”

In 1993, Bruno moved to Clearwater, Florida. Initially, he had decided to take the summer off, enjoy the beach, and just relax. Two weeks after his arrival in Florida, however, he had registered to attend culinary arts school. The training was grueling, but Bruno relished the opportunity to learn.

“It was very intensive training,” Bruno says. “We were cooking eight hours a day. Cooking, baking, and learning all of the basics of what is required to manage a thriving restaurant. It was intense in the beginning, but I loved it. It was a great way to get a really well-rounded education in what is required to run a successful operation.”

While in Florida, Bruno met his wife Kathleen, a native of Jackson, MS. In 1996, after completing his culinary studies in Clearwater, the two moved back to Kathleen’s hometown of Jackson.  Shortly thereafter, Bruno’s career as a chef took off.

“I worked a few jobs here and there when we first got here – the Jitney Premier, Belhaven. Then a pivotal day came along,” Bruno remembers. “I interviewed for the position of Executive Chef at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion. The First Ladies are really the ones who decide everything involving the kitchen and the house, so initially I interviewed with Mrs. Fordice. I was the first interview of the day and, after my discussion with her, I was the last. It was a perfect fit.”

Bruno served as Executive Chef at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion under Fordice, and then for a portion of the Ronnie Musgrove administration. In 2001, he opened his own restaurant called Bruno’s Eclectic Cuisine, specializing in Spanish and Caribbean-inspired food. However, three years later, a life-threatening health crisis forced Chef Bruno to close the restaurant.

Crisis as Opportunity

“You can only really heal a situation

by moving toward it and truly facing it.”

–Chef Luis “Louie” Bruno

“The root of my health problems goes back to my childhood. No one ever taught me the proper way to eat. If I wanted three more pieces of fried chicken, I got it. Then, when I was in culinary school, I put on 150 pounds in less than 18 months.  I enjoy cooking and I enjoy eating, and like so many people who become overweight and obese, I had other personal issues I was dealing with and I sought comfort in food. Trying to drown your sorrows with food doesn’t work. You’ll kill yourself. It’s a slow form of suicide. In my case, I started going downhill, fast.

At first, I could have just taken some pills and exercised to address my situation, but I was undisciplined. This led to me being over 400 pounds. I developed extreme diabetes. I required six shots of insulin a day because my sugar level was almost 300 every day. I developed sleep apnea, cirrhosis of the liver, my eyes were going bad, and I was having problems with my feet. It was my fault. I was working 17-hour days, 7 days a week, and my eating habits created a time bomb. My doctor said if I continued the way I was going, I only had five more years to live. I was 34. He said I would be dead by 40.”

With this news from his doctor, Bruno embarked on a major journey of personal transformation. He began a medically guided 800-calorie-per-day liquid diet. In less than six months, Bruno had lost 160 pounds. He eventually took up a disciplined exercise regimen. One year later, he was half his size, had taken up running, and had even been featured in Runner’s World magazine.

“Don’t get me wrong. It has been a lot of hard work and it hasn’t been easy,” Bruno explains, “but every bit of it has been worth it. This process gave me my life back. I began running 5-Ks, 10-Ks, and half marathons as well. I have totally gotten back on track and have completely reversed all of my health issues.”

On the heels of this transformation, Governor Haley Barbour asked Bruno to return as Executive Chef at the Governor’s Mansion, where he served until 2009. At that time, he became Director of Culinary Development for the Hilton Jackson Hotel. After two years at the Hilton, Bruno became the Executive Chef of The Palette Café by Viking at The Mississippi Museum of Art, where he serves to this day – overseeing all café, catering, and banquet cooking and operations.

Giving Back

When you talk with Chef Luis Bruno, it is easy to experience his passion for cooking; but it is his passion and love for life that sweeps you up and stays with you.  As part of his tenacious dedication to life, and active support of the children’s medicine that saved his life as a little boy, Bruno donates his time and culinary expertise for various events with Friends of Children’s Hospital and Batson Hospital for Children. This year’s Enchanted Evening Under the Stars Gala, presented by BankPlus, represents Bruno’s fifth time serving as the event’s chef.

“Giving to children, and doing what I can to support parents and pediatric medicine, is something I love. As I have shared, I had an extremely challenging childhood. I know what it is like for a single parent to have a child facing a major health crisis, and I know what it is like to be that scared little child facing a health crisis themselves. Whatever I can do to make that healing process happen truly is my pleasure. Compared to a little child in pain, a 300-person or 1,000-person dinner is nothing. It is a labor of love. I feel like I owe it and I am prepared to do this for the rest of my life.”

To taste the culinary mastery of Chef Luis Bruno, visit The Palette Café by Viking at the Mississippi Museum of Art: http://www.msmuseumart.org/visit-pallete-cafe-by-viking.html

For more information on The Enchanted Evening Under the Stars Gala, Presented by BankPlus, please contact Melanie Schade at Friends of Children’s Hospital, at: 601.984.5273