Pioneers in Pediatrics

Board member Drew Neville and the rest of the team at Children’s Health Foundation of Oklahoma garner support and resources for crucial pediatric research that benefits children across the state.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA / ACCESSWIRE / December 20, 2024 / Thousands of children throughout Oklahoma are facing pediatric diseases that impact their daily lives. The Children’s Health Foundation of Oklahoma (CHF) was founded to support sick children and their families through funding research, education, and care across all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Since 1982, the organization has raised more than $161 million for patients, and 75% of the state’s pediatricians are currently supported by CHF.

This impact is what originally attracted Drew Neville to join the organization’s board of directors in the late 1980s. Currently of counsel for McAfee & Taft, Neville has worked as a trial lawyer for over 50 years. He brings this unique mindset to the work he does on CHF’s board, which has contributed to 36 endowed chairs in 13 different pediatric specialties-from oncology and neonatology to genealogy and pulmonology.

“Our board is very driven. You don’t get to attend meetings and have a glass of wine and then go home,” laughs Neville. “Everything we do is centered on funding crucial pediatric research, as research is the key to the cure.”

Rallying Around Research

Through the support of community partners, donations, and community events, CHF recruits exceptional doctors for pediatric research that has positively impacted the lives of many children. For one mother located in Enid, this research saved her newborn baby’s life. After she went home from the hospital, her child couldn’t keep milk down while breastfeeding and was showing signs of malnutrition. CHF had a crucial piece of equipment that allowed the mother to receive DNA testing results within 24 hours rather than the typical two to three weeks. She discovered her baby had galactosemia, which involves the inability to break down the galactose in milk. She was advised to stop breastfeeding immediately, saving her baby’s life.

Currently, Neville and the rest of the board are looking to the future, seeking ways to increase funding and support for future pediatric programming and research opportunities. Because of this dedication, no child is ever turned away from CHF’s supported programs, regardless of their ability to pay.

“We have been very blessed with a wonderful, motivated staff who are here for the cause,” says Neville. “If you don’t constantly reinvest in your research, pediatric care could be set back, and we aren’t OK with those ramifications. My favorite part of what we do is interacting with children and their families and positively impacting their life.”

SOURCE: Children’s Health Foundation

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