Gift to Advance Children’s Health Care
The DeVos family’s $50 million gift to advance pediatric health care in West Michigan established a holistic partnership between Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Mary Free Bed, and Pine Rest that weaves together medical, rehabilitative, and mental health care, creating a powerhouse of support for children.
The DeVos family has had a long-standing tradition of supporting children’s health in West Michigan and partnerships between organizations. Their work dates back to Rich and Helen DeVos, who left a legacy of investing in health care institutions and forging partnerships to better serve children and families. Rich served as chairman of the board at Butterworth Hospital during the merger of Blodgett and Butterworth hospitals into a nationally recognized Spectrum Health (now Corewell Health). The couple lent their name and leadership to major fundraising projects, including the Richard DeVos Heart and Lung Transplant Program, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences.
The extent of pediatric services that will now be provided in West Michigan is far-reaching. The gift will help build Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, a venture created by Mary Free Bed and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and the Pine Rest Pediatric Center of Behavioral Health. Additionally, the gift will create a permanent endowment for the Child and Family Life Program at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and provide complex care to children through an expansion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, a new 12-bed inpatient medical psychiatry unit, funds to recruit and retain nurses, and a breast milk donation and distribution station.
Our family is incredibly grateful for the compassionate pediatric experts who are devoted to transforming the lives of children in remarkable ways. We hope this gift will increase further collaboration between these individuals and organizations to advance medical, rehabilitative, and mental health care for kids.