Grateful grandparents show thanks through giving

Donors and grateful grandparents Matt and Joyce Walsh.

Joyce and Matt Walsh’s gratitude is palpable as they describe their family’s experience at Children’s Memorial. Their granddaughter, Katherine, was 15 months old when she was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a malignant tumor of the kidneys.

“It was devastating. We were scared to death,” says Joyce. Katherine endured months of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor on her kidney before undergoing surgery on her second birthday. “It was a painful time in our lives, but a lot of goodness came out of it, too,” says Joyce. “We were treated so beautifully by everyone at the hospital.”

Matt is CEO of the Walsh Group, which includes Walsh Construction, a company that has helped shape the infrastructure and architecture of Chicago. Now he and Joyce are investing in the future of children’s health through their gift to the Heroes for Life campaign in support of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

“Philanthropy is an important part of who we are, and what life is all about,” says Matt. “It means a lot to us to support Children’s, because it gave us our granddaughter back.”

Today Katherine is a healthy 7-year-old with a bright future. Joyce and Matt’s gift is a heartfelt commitment to helping other children and families. Says Matt with a smile, “We’re looking forward to more stories like ours with positive outcomes.”