Latest News & Events - George Mark Children's House

Life Around the House

Leila’s Day: George Mark and Crunchyroll create an unforgettable memory for a patient’s sister

At George Mark Children’s House, caring for a child also means caring for the people who love them. We wrap our arms around the whole family, providing compassionate care, comfort, and support during life’s most challenging moments. That might mean respite for parents and caregivers, meaningful activities for children, or simply creating opportunities for families to spend time together and make memories. For the sister of one of our patients, it meant a day created just for her. A family’s wish comes true George Mark patient Milo is seven years old. He lives with Spastic Ataxia Type 5, a rare neurodegenerative mitochondrial disease, and is receiving hospice care. Her family shared a special wish: to create a day for Milo’s loving sister, Leila. When George Mark learned that Leila had a passion for drawing and was a devoted fan of a Japanese style of animation called anime, they teamed up with Crunchyroll, a global video-on-demand streaming service. Together, George Mark and Crunchyroll created an unforgettable day for Leila. She, her dad, and George Mark staff were welcomed for a private tour of Crunchyroll’s offices, where Leila received a swag bag of items from some of her favorite shows, including Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and My Hero Academia. For Leila, it was more than a fun day. It was an opportunity to feel seen and celebrated for who she is, separate from her role as the sister of a medically complex child. “We all enjoyed the day and it was heartening to see Leila at the center of something light and fun,” said George Mark Child Life Specialist Kyle Amsler. Thank you, Crunchyroll Our thanks to Crunchyroll for making Leila feel celebrated and loved. We are grateful for the opportunity to create a day that was all about her and for the reminder that a little joy can mean so much. These moments of happiness, recognition, and respite can make a lasting difference, and partnerships like this help create memories that families will carry with them forever.

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October 12, 2026

NEWS RELEASE: George Mark Children's House Raises Over $1.1 Million at Annual Gala

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hamilton Star Miguel Cervantes and Wife Kelly Cervantes Join George Mark Families for an Evening of Music, Storytelling and Generosity SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — October 9, 2026 — George Mark Children’s House (GMCH), the nation’s first freestanding pediatric palliative care center, raised more than $1.1 million at its annual gala, bringing together supporters, families and special guests to benefit children and young adults with serious, life-limiting medical conditions and their families. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, the gala was hosted by Broadway actor and advocate Miguel Cervantes, best known for his acclaimed portrayal of Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton. He was joined by his wife, Kelly Cervantes, bestselling author, advocate and host of CURE Epilepsy’s Seizing Life podcast. “This extraordinary generosity means that more families can come to George Mark and simply be families again,” said Shekinah Eliassen, CEO of George Mark Children’s House. “Here, they are surrounded by expert care, compassion and a community that understands that every moment together matters.” Some of the evening’s most powerful moments came from the children and families GMCH serves. Longtime respite care patient Kaitlyn shared her story, offering guests a personal glimpse into what respite care can mean for a family living with complex medical needs. Musical performances featured respite care patient Jahiem and Leena and Yasmeen, siblings of a George Mark respite care patient, underscoring an essential part of GMCH’s mission: when a child has a serious medical condition, the entire family is affected—and the entire family deserves support. Located in San Leandro, George Mark Children’s House provides around-the-clock specialized medical care in a warm, home-like setting where families can rest, reconnect and spend meaningful time together. Families receive care regardless of their ability to pay. MEDIA CONTACT Ricky Resurreccion Marketing & Events Manager George Mark Children’s House 510-346-1262 rresurreccion@georgemark.org

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October 9, 2026

The Heart of the Night

Miguel Cervantes Reflects on a Record-Setting Night for George Mark Following George Mark Children’s House’s record-setting 2026 fundraising gala, which raised more than $1 million in support of children and families, Broadway star Miguel Cervantes joined KRON4’s Stephanie Lin to reflect on an evening that was deeply personal for him and his wife, Kelly. Miguel shared how their family’s own experience caring for their daughter Adelaide — including hospice care at the end of her life — gave them an immediate connection to George Mark’s mission. He spoke about the importance of giving parents the chance to simply be parents, rather than always being caregivers, and why respite and hospice care can be such a meaningful gift to families. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW He also reflected on one of the most memorable parts of the gala: sharing the stage with young people from the George Mark community. Miguel described them as the “real stars” of the evening, recalling the joy of performing alongside Jahiem and Yasmeen and seeing the room come together in celebration. Watch Miguel Cervantes’ full conversationwith Stephanie Lin on KRON4 to hear more about his family’s connection to George Mark Children’s House, the impact of its care, and his experience at An Evening of Love & Lyrics.

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October 5, 2026

An Evening of Love & Lyrics on KTVU

Miguel Cervantes and Shekinah Eliassen Preview on KTVU star Miguel Cervantes and George Mark Children’s House CEO Shekinah Eliassen joined Alex Savidge on KTVU FOX 2’s for a heartfelt conversation about pediatric palliative care, the families George Mark serves, and the personal connection Miguel and his wife, Kelly, have to the mission. During the interview, Miguel spoke movingly about his daughter, Adelaide, who lived with severe epilepsy before her death in 2019. He reflected especially on the enormous responsibility carried by parents and caregivers of children with serious medical conditions. “Caregivers… they are heroic,” Miguel shared, recalling how Kelly managed Adelaide’s medications, therapies and daily care while he was performing onstage in . He and Kelly have since channeled their grief into supporting organizations that care for children and families facing similar journeys. Shekinah shared how meaningful it was to welcome Miguel and Kelly into the George Mark community, including having children from George Mark share the stage with Miguel as part of the organization’s annual fundraising gala, . “We have two children from George Mark performing with Miguel,” she said. “It’s going to be a life-changing experience for them and for our whole community.” The conversation also highlighted the essential role philanthropy plays at George Mark. As the first pediatric palliative care center of its kind in the country, George Mark provides respite and end-of-life care while ensuring that families never receive a bill for services. For Miguel, the opportunity was ultimately about putting the children in the spotlight. Asked about performing alongside George Mark patients, he playfully borrowed a line familiar to fans: “I am not throwing away my shot.” “I’m happy to take a back seat to these stars of the show,” Miguel said. Perhaps the most powerful moment of the conversation came as Miguel described what palliative and respite care can give families: the chance to temporarily set aside the schedules, medications and constant responsibilities of caregiving and simply be together. “You get to step back away from that role and be mom again, and be dad again, and be a parent, and just hold your child,” he said. This year’s is sold out, but the opportunity to support the children and families of George Mark Children’s House continues. Even if you can’t join us in person, you can still be part of the evening’s purpose by making a donation in support of the compassionate care we provide to families at no cost. MAKE A DONATION

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October 2, 2026

Remembering Dayo: A Gentle Heart, a Lasting Legacy

Liz Stewart, a longtime member of George Mark’s pet therapy community, has brought several beloved therapy dogs to the House over the years. Dayo, a Rhodesian Ridgeback with a calm and gentle presence, became especially close to many of our children, families and staff. Sadly, Dayo passed away recently. To help ease the loss we’re all feeling, we asked Liz to share some of the memories she holds closest and how she hopes her longtime canine partner will be remembered. A sixth sense was his superpower Whenever Liz Stewart picked up the visit bag, Dayo knew where they were going. Inside were his vest and treats for another visit to George Mark Children’s House. As soon as he saw the bag, he would run to the door. Inside were his vest and treats for another visit to George Mark Children’s House. As soon as he saw the bag, he would run to the door. Georgeeorge Mark had become one of his places. “It truly felt like his home away from home to him.” Liz, a longtime member of our pet therapy community, has brought several beloved therapy dogs to the House over the years. Dayo, a Rhodesian Ridgeback with a calm and gentle presence, became especially close to many of our children, families and staff. As we remember Dayo, who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge, we asked Liz to share some of the memories she holds closest and how she hopes her longtime partner will be remembered. What made Dayo special was his instinct for knowing what each person needed. He was calm. Watchful. Patient. “He loved to meet new people,” Liz said, “and he knew what each person needed.” Dayo’s intuitive sense allowed him to adjust to the situation at hand —whether someone just wanted him to lay next to them, go for a walk, cuddle, or lean in and give them a kiss.” Sometimes Dayo greeted a child with a gentle touch of his nose to a hand, foot or forehead. Sometimes he rested his chin beside a bed or chair. And sometimes the best thing he could do was simply lie nearby. Liz called Dayo’s intuition his that Dayo’s superpower. Dayo loved activities and made everyone smile Dayo joined children for stories and art projects. He stayed close during palliative aquatic sessions and loved walking with patients and families through Hummingbird Hill. Liz remembers one child happily kicking her feet beneath the water in the Hummingbird Hill fountain while Dayo walked beside her, checking in as they went. “He loved seeing her happy,” Liz said. There were games of hide-and-seek, quiet afternoons beside a bed, and long stretches when Dayo seemed perfectly content just being part of whatever was happening. When a respite stay ended, Dayo would sometimes follow a child and family all the way out to their car. Dayo managed to elicit some giggles, too. Once, while Liz and a patient worked on LEGOs,™ Dayo settled at the child’s feet and fell asleep. Before long he started snoring. That got both of them laughing! Being there during life’s hardest moments Dayo was also present during some difficult days. Once, when a child was receiving end-of-life care, Dayo sat beside the child’s brothers while they played cards. He stayed just close enough so that either boy could reach over whenever they wanted to pet or hug him. There was no need for Dayo to do anything more. Families remembered the comfort Dayo provided. Many looked for Dayo when they returned to George Mark for a Day of Remembrance, often hugging him near their child’s memorial tile. At one celebration of life, a family asked to add Dayo’s paw print to a memorial canvas alongside their own thumbprints. In one particularly moving moment, a patient’s sibling sat down in front of Dayo, wrapped her arms around him, and cried. Dayo licked the tears from her cheek. “He didn’t want her to be sad,” Liz says. A furry, familiar face around the House Dayo had regular routines with the George Mark our staff. , too. At the start of a visit, there was often a stop to see Maira from our hospitality team, who greeted him with a kiss and a hard-boiled egg. He visited the nursing station and front office for pets and hugs and leaned happily into anyone who found just the right spot on his neck or chest to scratch. He belonged here. And just as Dayo provided comfort to so many others, Liz says he provided it to her as well. “Sometimes visits are can be emotional for me too,” said Liz. “ and Dayo’s presence kept me strong.” “We were the perfect team,” she said. “and I miss my buddy.” A life of companionship Dayo’s story began in an unusual way. Before becoming a therapy dog, he was a companion to a cheetah named Pancake at Wildlife Safari in Oregon. Later, he brought that same instinct for companionship to children and adults in many settings, including grieving children at Camp Erin, patients in healthcare facilities, adults with disabilities, and children participating in reading programs. In 2024, Dayo was nominated for the American Humane Hero Dog Awards. The George Mark community rallied around him, helping share his story and encouraging others to vote. His nomination also brought wider attention to his work, with Dayo and Liz appearing on KRON4 and NBC Bay Area. And in 2025, Dayo had another memorable moment representing George Mark when he and Liz took the field at Oracle Park to deliver the honorary first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game. These moments were a source of pride for everyone at George Mark who knew and loved him. Remembering Dayo “I felt like Dayo knew he was the comfort and protector of his George Mark kids,” Liz said. That is how we will remember him. Thank you, Dayo, for the walks through Hummingbird Hill. The nose touches and kisses. The snoring at a child’s feet. The families who searched for him when they came back to the House. And the quiet way he stayed close when someone simply needed another living being beside them. Thank you, Dayo, for taking such good care of your George Mark kids. You will always be part of our House.

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September 25, 2026

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Join a virtual presentation with a Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse to learn more about the Cancer Care Program at George Mark Children’s House — 10:30 am on October 8; 9 am or 3 pm on October 29. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to pause, remember, honor, and raise awareness of the children and young adults living with cancer and the families walking beside them. At George Mark Children’s House, we believe that caring for a child with cancer means caring for the whole family. Through our Cancer Care Program, we provide medically supervised respite and end-of-life care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 25. Our goal is simple but profound: create a place where children can experience comfort, connection, play, and the opportunity to simply be children—while their families receive support, respite, and compassionate care. Nurturing care far beyond nursing While September gives us an opportunity to shine a brighter light on childhood cancer, we know that awareness and compassionate care should never be limited to just one month. Every month we have the privilege of supporting children and families through some of the most difficult and meaningful moments of their lives. Our care extends far beyond nursing. We surround children and families with child life services, therapeutic sessions, sibling support, psychosocial and spiritual care, memory-making and legacy building activities, and coordination with the child’s existing medical and palliative care teams. Because sometimes a family needs a place to rest. Sometimes they need help carrying the weight of continuous caregiving. Sometimes they need a safe, nurturing place to spend precious time together. And sometimes, when a child is nearing the end of life, they need a place where they can be surrounded by love, dignity, comfort, and the people who matter most. At George Mark, we make space for all of it. Please join us. If you would like to learn more about George Mark Children’s House, our Cancer Care Program, or how we support children and families, I would love to connect with you. I am offering virtual presentations in October where I will share more about who we are, what we do, and how we can support children and families: October 8th at 10:30 am October 29th at 9:00 am or 3:00 pm To receive the Cancer Care Program flyer, attend a virtual presentation, or arrange a tour of George Mark Children’s House, please email me at GJimenez@GeorgeMark.org. Sometimes awareness begins with simply knowing that there is a place, there is support, and no family has to navigate it alone. With gratitude, Gabby Jimenez Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse -Education & Outreach

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September 21, 2026

Meet Our New Director of Operations

Welcome, Aubyn Redmond New Director of Operations brings deep experience and an inclusive philosophy. This month we welcome Aubyn Redmond, our new Director of Operations. Throughout her career, Aubyn was always drawn to pediatric healthcare. She first heard about George Mark years ago at a Children’s Health Guild luncheon in San Francisco. There, she learned about the extraordinary work that happens every day at George Mark Children’s House. It made an impression. “George Mark stayed on my mind after that day,” she says. Fortunately, that led her to join us at George Mark Children’s House. Today Aubyn is thrilled to be in her new role. “I feel an immense sense of gratitude to be part of the George Mark community,” she says. Experience and impact Aubyn brings more than 15 years of healthcare operations experience to George Mark, including positions at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford Children’s Health, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation. In those roles, Aubyn gained experience in emergency care, hospital pharmacy, pediatric healthcare, and healthcare operations. Although Aubyn has spent much of her career inside large healthcare systems, she sees no relationship between the size of an organization and the size of its impact. “I don’t believe you need to work in a huge organization to make a significant impact,” she says. We look forward to working with Aubyn as we continue to discover new ways of maximizing our impact. What is operations? An operations department is invisible when everything is running smoothly in an organization. But to Aubyn, operational excellence is not simply about efficiency. It is about creating the conditions that allow people to do their best work and to provide the best possible care. She sees her role as helping to make sure that all the moving pieces of George Mark work together seamlessly so that patients, families, staff, volunteers, and visitors can focus on what matters most. “When we as a team are happy, our patients and families are happy,” she says. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” One of Aubyn’s priorities is finding ways to make workflows more efficient and responsive while reducing unnecessary stress on staff. She is particularly interested in using proven project management principles, visibility-board rounding, and other tools that help teams identify problems, communicate clearly, and improve how work gets done. A phrase she uses that captures her approach well: be hard on the process, not on the people. It is a philosophy grounded in the idea that when something is not working, the first question should be how the system can be improved — not who should be blamed. Aubyn aims to help create a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and helping solve problems. “I don’t have all the answers to all the problems we’re trying to solve,” she says. “I rely on a diverse group of voices to help get the work done and build lasting solutions.” That collaborative style is central to how she leads. One of her favorite quotes sums it up nicely: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” First impressions Since joining George Mark, what has stood out most to Aubyn is not a system or a process. It’s the people. “You can’t have an ego at George Mark Children’s House,” she says. “I’ve yet to encounter anyone who does.” She has also noticed the small acts of kindness that happen throughout the House each day. Food, family and adventure Outside of work, Aubyn spends much of her time with family. She describes herself as part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for her aging parents while also enjoying adventures with her adult daughters, Bridget and Charlotte. Those adventures often involve traveling or exploring the Bay Area food scene. Aubyn loves experiencing the local culture, history, and cuisine when she travels. A recent trip to Iceland included the northern lights, visits to the lagoons, and a particularly adventurous meal featuring fermented shark and Brennivín, a traditional Icelandic spirit. That openness to new experiences is perfect for someone stepping into a role centered on learning, improving, and bringing people together.

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September 21, 2026

TWO FAMILIES, TWO JOURNEYS

Kaitlyn Heflin and Kelly Cervantes have different histories with George Mark Children’s House, but both know how profoundly a child’s serious illness can shape an entire family. Kaitlyn began experiencing seizures when she was just two years old and was later diagnosed with epilepsy. As her condition became more severe, her childhood included multiple hospital stays, uncomfortable medical procedures and long stretches when everyday life became much harder. By third grade, the severity of her seizures and her debilitating fatigue meant she could no longer attend school. George Mark Children’s House became part of Kaitlyn’s life while she was still young. At the time, she was very sick and had lost much of her mobility. Despite these challenges, many of the memories she carries from those years are not about illness at all. Instead, they are about creating works of art, attending George Mark proms, meeting Giants players, connecting with other children and families, and celebrating a Make-A-Wish trip to Paris. Her sister, Peyton, found comfort and fun being part of George Mark’s sibling programming. Today, Kaitlyn attends college and enjoys dancing. She is currently writing a fantasy book whose main character has epilepsy. She hopes to become a preschool teacher and an author. Kelly knows a different side of that journey. In 2016, Kelly Cervantes and her husband, Broadway actor Miguel Cervantes, learned that their seven-month-old daughter, Adelaide, had a severe form of epilepsy. Over the next three and a half years, their family navigated the demands of caring for a medically complex child while raising their son and continuing with the life unfolding around them. Sadly, Adelaide died from complications of epilepsy and a neurodegenerative disorder just days before her fourth birthday. During that extraordinarily difficult time, Kaitlyn’s family experienced support, connection, and treasured childhood moments from the staff at George Mark Children’s House. By going through this life-changing experience firsthand, Kelly’s family knows why that kind of profoundly personal care truly matters. Since then, Kelly and Miguel have dedicated much of their time to helping other families navigate medically complex caregiving, hospice and grief. Kelly is an award-winning writer, speaker and advocate, and the author of and . Kaitlyn and Kelly’s stories diverge, but their experiences are connected On October 2 at 5:15 p.m., Kaitlyn and Kelly will join us for An Evening of Love & Lyrics, where they will share their stories. While their journeys are different, they have both experienced George Mark’s compassionate care. Together, they offer a moving reminder that when a child is seriously ill, caring for the child also means caring for the family around them. A very limited number of tickets remain. Join us for this special evening and help make compassionate care possible for more children and families.

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September 15, 2026

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