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When Falcon Batchelor was 14 years old, he and his
family weren't ready to accept the three-year
timeline doctors gave him for survival of cystic
fibrosis. Looking for answers and better care,
George Batchelor took his son to the University of
Miami School of Medicine and Robert McKey, Jr.,
M.D., founder and then-director of the University's
Cystic Fibrosis Center. Under Dr. McKey's care,
Falcon lived 20 more years. With a leadership gift
of $10 million to create the Batchelor Children's
Research Institute at the School of Medicine, George
Batchelor, an aviation pioneer and philanthropist,
has more than expressed his gratitude. And at the
building's May 3rd dedication, Batchelor expressed
his appreciation even further, stunning the audience
with the announcement of an additional $5 million
gift to the School of Medicine. But it's not just
the funding that makes Batchelor's gift so
significant – it's the promise of dedication to
healing thousands of children that comes with the
institute's establishment. It brings to fruition his
quest to create a world-class research facility to
improve the health and welfare of children. As in
Batchelor's experience with his son, research at the
Batchelor Children's Research Institute will help
bring peace of mind and hope to families with
children suffering from a variety of pediatric
diseases
"The 20 quality years we had with Falcon after
his first visit to the Department of Pediatrics was
a gift from the University of Miami that we will
never be able to repay,” says Batchelor. "One of the
reasons I took on this venture is because I want to
see cystic fibrosis cured, but the idea that this
institute can help all children is truly exciting
and gratifying for me. I wish Falcon could be here
to see this wonderful new facility. He would be so
proud."
One of the largest centers in the world devoted
exclusively to research in children's health,
the Batchelor Children's Research Institute includes
147,500 square feet of specially designed space
dedicated to basic and clinical research. The
numerous research initiatives of the school's
respected Department of Pediatrics will be housed in
the state-of-the-art facility.
"We are very grateful to George Batchelor for his
magnificent gift. His generosity and conviction
helped make this research center a reality," says
John G. Clarkson, M.D. '68, senior vice president
for medical affairs and dean of the School of
Medicine. "The University has emerged as a leader in
pediatric research, and we are now able to bring
together under one roof the scientists, clinicians,
and doctoral fellows who are working to find
treatments and cures that will one day help millions
of children live a better life."
Augmenting the Batchelor Foundation's leadership
gift is a $5 million contribution from the Harcourt
M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation to establish
the Sylvester Family Children's Cancer and
Neonatology Research Center within the Batchelor
Children's Research Institute. The Sylvester
Foundation is a leader in the fight against cancer
and a longtime supporter of the University of Miami,
generously supporting the creation and continued
development of the School of Medicine's Sylvester
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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