“I just love to help.”

Why Riley Team Members Give Back

October 2, 2020

For the past 15 years, Desmond Turner has been contributing to the safety and well-being of patients, staff and visitors at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health through his role as a maintenance technician for the Facilities team. Turner takes pride in his work and feels strongly about another role he sees as his duty: giving back. “I just love to help. I love to give. So anytime I am able to help or do something for somebody, it’s a joy to me.”

Turner is a proud donor through the Riley Children’s Foundation Employee Giving program. Funds raised by Riley team members help nearly every clinical program at Riley Children’s Health. These gifts provide financial support for staff, education, technology, research and family support programs that have helped us become one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals.

“All of my kids have been here,” Turner says. “I had a niece who was in the NICU back in 2002. I feel like they’ve helped me, so it’s my duty to give back. It’s something we should do all the time. Why shouldn’t we give? It’s for the babies.”

Likewise, Mara Nitu, M.D., feels compelled to donate. As Division Chief for Pediatric Critical Care at Riley Hospital, she oversees the care of patients with complex health needs. “By giving, I hope to contribute in one more way to promote research in the pediatric critical care field,” says Dr. Nitu. “This will result in better care for our patients with better outcomes."

The collective impact of Riley team members is extraordinary. In 2019, 738 team members participated in Riley Children’s Foundation Employee Giving, raising a total of $470,889. For employees like Turner, the act of giving is one more way to demonstrate how much they care about children. As he says, “It’s heartwarming to be able to do something for somebody else.”