On Christmas Eve in 1928, the manager of the Sheridan Square Theater in Pittsburgh found an abandoned baby girl in his theater. A note signed Heartbroken Mother pleaded: "Please take care of my baby. Her name is Catherine. I can no longer care for her. I have eight others. My husband is out of work. She was born on Thanksgiving Day. I have always heard of the goodness of show business and I pray you will look after my little girl." Variety Club, Tent #1, an 11-member club composed of show business people, was meeting that night. The group agreed to care for the infant and because of Catherine, unfortunate and needy children became the special interest of show business professionals.
In the 1940s, Miami Tent #33 of Variety Clubs International was founded. Its goal was to help indigent children. Variety Club soon joined forces with a new hospital that was being built outside Coral Gables and in need of financial assistance. Thanks to the generosity and founding vision of Dr. Arthur H. Weiland, who donated the land for the hospital, Variety Children’s Hospital opened its doors on March 20, 1950, just as the polio epidemic was encompassing the United States. Variety Children’s Hospital was soon deemed the southern center for persons suffering from polio. Throughout the years, the hospital continued to grow and offer new services to meet the needs of the community. Renamed Miami Children's Hospital in 1986, this once small facility is a non-profit, freestanding hospital that is internationally recognized for its outstanding medical care, research and innovation.
Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine and is routinely ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation. Miami Children's is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. At Miami Children's the focus is always on advancements in pediatric medicine.
In 1982, Ambassador Walters activated Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation to meet that pledge. Following the tragic loss of his six-year old granddaughter Shannon from leukemia, Ambassador David M. Walters vowed that no child ever need leave South Florida to receive the highest caliber medical care.
His legacy lives on today. Ambassador Walters’ passion for children’s health and his commitment to raising the money to help fund the best pediatric care for all children, led to the Foundation becoming the largest single supporter and source of continued funding for Miami Children’s Hospital. It is through those contributions that Miami Children’s Hospital grew and earned its reputation as a world-leader in pediatric health care.
Watch the MCH Informative Video (MCH History)