Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit Celebrates 10 Years

Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit Celebrates 10 Years

Madeline Bell, President and CEO, CHOP: It's hard to believe it's 10 years later and I'm so thrilled that all of you are here to join us in this celebration.

N. Scott Adzick, MD, MMM, Surgeon in Chief and Director; Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment: Pregnant mothers carrying, babies with birth defects are helped immensely in this unique, innovative special delivery unit. The special delivery unit serves as a beacon of excellence; it's the crown jewel of CHOP and the Center of Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment. This is a new paradigm of care for the mother carrying a baby with a birth defect and there is no doubt that this approach has resulted in dramatically improved patient outcomes. I'd like to thank the Garbose family for their generous support. This is all a wonderful illustration of the power of philanthropy.

Lori Howell, DNP, MS, RN, Executive Director, Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment: Celebrating its 10th birthday, our incredible SDU obstetric team has delivered over 3,600 babies.

Bill Garbose: We applaud your hard work and the compassionate care that you give to families that are under great stress and in great pain. Thank you so much.

Kate Distasio, former patient: We chose CHOP, not only because we know it is a children's hospital that's the best in the country, but because it was the only place that we could deliver where Vin would be treated. 

Vincenzo Distasio, 7th child born in the Garbose Family SDU: I wanted to come here today so that I could say thank you to all of the doctors and nurses here at CHOP that helped take care of me and also my mom.

N. Scott Adzick: Over the past 23 years, we've had, believe it or not, more than 22,000 referrals of pregnant mothers carrying babies with birth defects and these patients that come from all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

Julie Moldenhauer, MD, Medical Director, Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit: Birth defects don't discriminate. They can impact any race, any religion, any orientation. We know that could easily happen to our sister, our cousin, our best friend, it could be me. How would we want our loved ones to be treated?

Madeline Bell: I think everyone understands how important the Special Delivery Unit has been to these families and thousands of families.

Alicia Alphonse, former patient: The doctors gave us hope and gave us an outcome that could better give our daughter a chance at life. For the connections, stories, doctors in the SDU and all of you really, I am truly grateful. Thank you!