Every donor has a story. Whether you're a Santa Clarita family honoring your Healthcare Hero, a Henry Mayo employee giving back to the hospital, or a business looking to have a meaningful impact on SCV life, your story is unique, memorable, and significant.

Here are just a few of our stories.

Wayne and Connie Spears Intensive Care Unit

Generous charitable gifts from our community including a major contribution from a Santa Clarita family, and over 500 enthusiastic Henry Mayo employees, physicians and volunteers along with a foundation grant enabled Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital to build a sophisticated, new 18-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which opened this year. Although many individuals and small businesses in the community gave to make this $9 million project a reality, the biggest boost was a $2 million gift from Wayne and Connie Spears, who, along with their children and grandchildren are grateful Henry Mayo patients. Hospital employees have given over $340,000, and the UniHealth Foundation provided a $405,000 grant.

Connie Spears was generous in her praise of the new ICU. .."We are fortunate that Henry Mayo is always there to provide outstanding critical care. Three generations of our family have personally experienced superb and attentive treatment."

For decades, critically ill and injured patients have received lifesaving care in Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital's Intensive Care Unit [ICU]. These patients and their families are faced with life-and-death situations so profound that, for however long it lasts, it becomes the focus of their lives.

Henry Mayo is grateful and proud that community philanthropy is playing a prominent role in making the new ICU possible. ICU patients will receive the very best in critical care when it's most needed. The ICU expansion was spurred by an increase in the number of patients and the development of national standards of care, but it delivers in more than these areas by allowing growth in other parts of the hospital.

Kim and Steven Ullman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Kim and Steven Ullman and their family foundation have generously provided the initial philanthropic revenue needed to complete the architectural and engineering plans and begin construction on the Santa Clarita Valley's only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This $6 million addition to Henry Mayo is a major part of the hospital's recently approved master plan expansion project.

At least one in every 10 newborns is admitted to a NICU, so mothers and babies in the Santa Clarita Valley who need this special medical facility have had to leave their community to find appropriate care. This exodus will no longer be necessary when, thanks to charitable support from grateful patients, employees and community donors, Henry Mayo opens its NICU in late 2011.

Steven and Kim's $1.65 million gift was structured over three years and is, in part, allocated through their family foundation that was established to support the needs of youth. Steven Ullman said, "Our family feels fortunate to help with such a vital hospital facility. The need for newborns to be welcomed into this world with a safe and healthy start is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We are honored to participate in this wonderful new facility. We hope that the gift through our family foundation inspires others to consider ways to help the hospital."

John Schleif, Chief Operating Officer at Henry Mayo, notes that, "By offering a NICU as part of our maternity center, we hope to give women the security of delivery in a facility that can care for their babies, even in the event of high-risk pregnancy, or emergency situation."

Betty Burke Oldfield’s involvement with Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital began when the hospital opened its doors to the Santa Clarita Valley Community in 1975. When asked to volunteer, she did not hesitate.

 “It sounded like a good thing to do,” said Oldfield, who eventually became president of the Hospital Auxiliary.

 Oldfield’s commitment to Henry Mayo continues. When she attended the recent opening of the new Neonatal intensive Care Unit, Oldfield decided that she wanted to be part of those who supported the NICU and contributed$25,000 to ”name” the NICU’s administrative office.

 Oldfield has supported the hospital as a volunteer, serving as chair of the first Home Tour League and then on the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Board of Directors.  She served as chair of the patient care committee and the building committee. A highlight for Oldfield was when Henry Mayo became a trauma center.

 “The progress has been remarkable at Henry Mayo,” Oldfield said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what they are doing for the health of the community.”

 A  Canyon Country resident, Oldfield has been an active volunteer for many non-profits including Hart Park and the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Named Woman of the Year in 1993, she also co-founded Safe Rides. Since 1986, Safe Rides provides free rides on Friday and Saturday nights to teenagers who have been drinking or who do not want to be a passenger in an unsafe situation. More than 2,000 teens have volunteered at Safe Rides, helping provide transportation to an estimated 20,000 teenagers.

 “It is because of dedicated volunteer leaders and generous supporters like Betty, that Henry Mayo has been able to accomplish so much in such a short time to improve patient care” – said Diana Vose, president of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation. “We are grateful for her leadership and generosity.”

The Henry Mayo Health Foundation has resources to assist donors in creating planned gifts, trusts, pledges, and many other creative tax-advantaged methods to help individuals and families achieve their personal and charitable goals.