The Helen and Will Webster Foundation Friday pledged $5 million to support the Rady Children's Heart Institute and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation 3D Innovations Lab.
The foundation, established by late inventor and entrepreneur Will Webster and his late wife, Helen, was founded to "support education and health care causes that benefit young people, with a commitment to investments in technological innovation that advance medicine and improve lives," the foundation's mission statement reads.
The $5 million is intended to accelerate cardiac care, develop novel 3D technologies and improve survival rates for children with congenital heart disease and other cardiac conditions.
"The Webster Foundation's visionary support will help us remain a leading center for exceptional pediatric cardiac care," says Dr. Patrick Frias, president and CEO of Rady Children's. "It will make a difference for countless young patients and their families who look to us for hope and healing when they come to the Rady Children's Heart Institute."
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According to a statement from Rady, the gift will create two endowed positions: the Helen and Will Webster Foundation Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Chair, which will "empower the Heart Institute's division chief of cardiothoracic surgery to advance research, clinical trials and patient care programs"; and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation 3D Innovations Lab Directorship, which will "bolster the lab director's vision, strengthen the lab's continuing advancements and help ensure the long-term sustainability of this extraordinary resource."
Additionally, the funding will create a Helen and Will Webster Foundation Pediatric Cardiology Innovation Fund, intended to provide critical resources for the Heart Institute to strategically invest in research.
The foundation is Friday led by sons Rich and Alec Webster
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"The progress that has been made over the last several years with the 3D Innovations Lab -- watching it grow and support other programs at the hospital beyond cardiology -- has been inspiring," said Rich Webster. "Rady Children's continues to demonstrate a major commitment to innovation and high levels of service, and that's why we made the grant."
The Webster 3D Innovations Lab was created with a previous $1 million gift from the Webster Foundation in 2019. It develops 3D technology and software that allow physicians to go from evaluating a patient's anatomy on a screen to holding a physical model in their hands or examining it in a lifelike, simulated environment.
"We're truly grateful for this partnership with the Webster Foundation, which will impact our team's ability to give every child who comes to us the best treatment options and support our aim to pursue bold new discoveries in the field," says Dr. Adel Younoszai, co-director of the Heart Institute and division chief of cardiology. "Ultimately, this is about healing kids' hearts. The Webster Foundation's support will benefit children for years to come."
The Heart Institute is the No. 1 pediatric cardiology program on the West Coast and No. 3 in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
