Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation (MCHF) is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to create awareness and generate funds for Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), the only licensed specialty hospital in South Florida exclusively for children. The Foundation’s guiding principle is to ensure that all children have access to state-of-the-art pediatric care.
MCHF is a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. The generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations helps MCH conquer new medical challenges through research and to also cope with the rising cost of healthcare.
Established in 1976, MCHF came under the leadership of Ambassador David M. Walters in 1982. The former Ambassador to the Vatican and prominent Miami attorney assumed the helm of the Foundation with the mission to raise funds to develop a new hospital campus. Ambassador Walters’ determination to build the best possible pediatric healthcare facility arose from the personal loss of his six-year old granddaughter Shannon to leukemia. Diagnosed late and unable to be effectively treated locally, Ambassador Walters vowed that no other child or family would ever have to face the same consequence and thus the mission of the Foundation was established and it continues on today.
MCHF’s mission is to support MCH, a state-of-the-art pediatric teaching hospital. This "Diamond of the South" - Miami Children's Hospital - considers all children precious gems – Diamonds.