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Quy’s Story With The Grace Children’s Foundation

Quy, his mother and sister being met by Dr. Dustin Nguyen from the Youth and Hope Foundation, at JFK International Airport. (February 2019)

In May 2013, Quy was only 6 months old when he was diagnosed with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome (WAS). Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome is an X-linked recessive immunodeficiency characterized by triad-recurrent bacterial sinopulmonary infections, eczema, and bleeding diathesis caused by thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction.

Most patients with WAS do not survive past the age of 5 and need a bone marrow transplant operation as soon as possible following the diagnosis.

After traveling throughout Vietnam with his family to numerous hospitals and meeting with physicians for pre-BMT evaluations for many years, Quy’s case was introduced to the Grace Children’s Foundation (GCF) and the Children’s Resource Exchange (CRE) in April 2016.

Mary Beth Fisher, Development & CRE Program Director visiting Quy in Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù with Quy’s sister. (October 2019)
Quy and his sister in Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, in Rome, Italy. (October 2019)

In February 2019, Quy and his family traveled from Vietnam all the way to New York City where he was then treated at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Through a series of evaluations and connections made through the National Institute of Health (NIH), Quy’s care was then coordinated for him at Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù in Rome, Italy. Quy and his family left NYC for Italy in October 2019.

In December 2019, Quy successfully underwent a bone marrow transplant under the supervision of Dr. Franco Locatelli who has pioneered a groundbreaking treatment in BMT that will save countless lives, including Quy’s who will celebrate his 8th birthday in November, 2020.

Since 2013, Quy has traveled more miles on his journey than most of us will do in a lifetime. He has suffered unimaginable setbacks during his illness and came too close to losing his life, had Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù not come forward at the last minute. The majority of the physicians did not know one another. All of the physicians involved were connected by way of the Children’s Resource Exchange (CRE) network.

Nancy Robertson, President & CEO, visiting with The Ronald McDonald House (Roma Bellosguardo) that hosted Quy’s mother & sister while Quy was awaiting his bone marrow transplant. (October 2019)

If the CRE digital platform had been up and running, Quy’s physicians/hospital in Vietnam would have been able to pinpoint where clinical trials were being conducted for WAS in a matter of days rather than the years it took.

As we roll out 1 TO 1 MILLION, the CRE digital platform will demonstrate the power of combining human conscientiousness with technology, accelerating access to vital healthcare resources. We, and all of our partners in healing, can change the outcome for children in need globally…scaling the solution to the magnitude of the problem.

Quy recovering post-BMT in Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, with his sister visiting. (December 2019)
Quy, post-BMT operation, with Valentina Bianco, GCF Program Coordinator – Italy.(December 2020)
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GCF’S Response To COVID-19

For the past two decades, the Grace Children’s Foundation (GCF) has been coordinating complex medical care and ancillary resources through its Children’s Resource Exchange (CRE) network. Focused on supporting those on the frontlines of medicine who serve children in need globally this vital work continues with our Partners in Healing.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, GCF is also responding to the pandemic with the CoVID Resource Exchange (CoRE)—coordinating resources to meet some of the pressing needs of people and organizations on the frontlines of the New York Metropolitan Area—doing what we do best, connecting people in need to people ready to help. The CoRE can be replicated in any area, city or state.

Thank you for your much needed support in this unprecedented time due to the COVID-19 virus.

Please consider Joining Our Cause.

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Microsoft Hackathon 2019 – 1st Place For Non Profit

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October Giving Month Event

Federico Gomez Suarez (CRE Project Manager), Principal Program Manager, Microsoft

David Hsiao, Engineering Program Manager, Microsoft

Catherine Bassova, UX Designer, Microsoft

Judit Velcsov, Supportability Program Manager, Online Safety Team, Microsoft

Lyudmila (Lucy) Veleva, Program Manager and Search Engine, Microsoft

Rahul Dodhia, Senior Director of Data Science, Microsoft

Children's Resource Exchange Microsoft Advisory Board Honorees

Also Honored with The Grace Children’s Foundation 2019 Humanitarian Award:

Anny Dow
Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft
Claire Sisson
Director, Strategic Planning & Initiatives, Project xCloud, Microsoft
GCF Honors The Children's Resource Exchange Microsoft Advisory Board

The Grace Children’s Foundation (GCF) honored the members of the Children’s Resource Exchange Microsoft Advisory Board on Saturday, October 19th, 2019.

The awards ceremony was held at Novelty Hill Januik Winery and was held as a part of Microsoft’s October Giving Month Fundraiser. Each member of the team was honored due to their work during the 2019 Microsoft Hackathon, where the GCF team won 1st place for Nonprofits.

During the event, GCF unveiled the Refugee Children’s Choral Initiative Video Premiere, featuring a live performance of the Northwest Girlchoir singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

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Microsoft Hackathon 2018

Accelerating Access And Delivery Of Pediatric Healthcare

Since 1997 the Grace Children’s Foundation has been working through its Children’s Resource Exchange (CRE) healthcare model with partners in healing, helping children in need from North and South America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, connecting children to pro-bono and subsidized care on a case-by-case basis.

Now, as we continue our journey in the age of digital transformation, our goal is to disrupt the industry by systematizing and accelerating global access and delivery of pediatric healthcare. We have come a long way over the past two decades. In 2017, we began our collaboration with innovators at Microsoft to build a global digital platform powered by Microsoft technology and Artificial Intelligence that will connect any child of any background, living anywhere in the world to medical resources and continuous care.

The CRE digital platform is envisioned as a comprehensive data management system that the advocate for any child in need can easily access and navigate to connect to resources including medical providers, like-minded nonprofits/NGOs, medical missions, clinical trials, transportation and government documentation. The medical community will be greatly benefited by peer-to-peer communication, coordination of care, secure sharing of information, a crisis alert system and a separate funding arm that supports out-of-region patients and international mission trips through the CRE…combining human conscientiousness with technology.

Our 2018 Hack for Good Team

We are launching a pilot that will serve as a prototype for the CRE digital platform with the roll out of From One to 100 program. The program aims to connect up to 100 children to vital healthcare either here in the United States or in the regions where they live. The majority of these children are Syrian refugees who are suffering from war-related injuries or other debilitating illnesses. The pilot will serve as a beta test of the CRE digital platform, that has already engendered global support from healthcare providers, technology partners and donors, who practice mindful giving.

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Microsoft Hackathon 2017 – 1st Place For Nonprofits

Our award-winning team together at Microsoft’s Hackathon 2017. The GCF team partnered with Microsoft employees to compete again a number of other nonprofits in the “Hack for Good” category and our team won 1st place.

Our team hard at work during the 2017 Hackathon. The event was held at Microsoft in Seattle, WA.

Nancy Robertson, GCF President & CEO, with Rahul Dodhia, Senior Director of Data Science, Microsoft

Rahul is a member of the Children’s Resource Exchange Microsoft Advisory Board and was a part of our Hackathon team this year.

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HSBC New York Honors GCF

The Grace Children’s Foundation (GCF) thanks HSBC bank for featuring us in the advertising campaign that just launched for their HSBC Fusion service, which allows small business owners to easily manage their business banking and personal finance needs on a single platform. Look for these great ads on digital kiosks throughout New York City. (December 2018)

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