The Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary hosted its annual Fashion Show and silent auction, themed Hope is Where the Heart Is, bringing the community together to raise funds going toward the auxiliary’s three-year, $600,000 pledge toward a pediatric ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine at the Cherese Mari Laulhere Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. More than 300 attended this stylish and meaningful event, showing their heartfelt support for advancing pediatric patient care.

A brightly lit ballroom with wired, chandelier-like lights with a white, glass walkway running through the center and tables with white tablecloths surrounded by seated people surrounding the walkway. The walkway has a man in a black tuxedo leading a white labradoodle with a leash down the walkway.

“This is our 68th year hosting the Fashion Show, and each year, the community rallies together to make a profound impact on the lives of children,” says Roxie Hause, president, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary. “Every effort is aimed at bolstering the clinical care programs and technology needed for our most vulnerable patients at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, and this event proved to be a heartfelt testament to the community’s dedication to enhancing pediatric care. Medical equipment is incredibly expensive, but ensuring our hospital has the right tools to save young lives is invaluable.”

The runway became a canvas for creativity and elegance, featuring stunning designs from Jorge and Mariano García Magariños’s The Extreme Collection, Melissa Pellone’s Pellone Collection, and Johana Hernandez’s Glaudi Collection. Models even brought out dogs, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.

A brightly lit ballroom with wired, chandelier-like lights with a white, glass walkway running through the center and tables with white tablecloths surrounded by seated people surrounding the walkway. The walkway has two people walking on it, a woman in a black and gold dress and a man in a black and gold tuxedo.
Striking in gold and black – this duo commands the runway with perfectly coordinated style and confidence in Melissa Pellone’s Pellone Collection.

Amid the glitz, glamour and auction, the event underscored an urgent and critical need for advanced medical equipment. Miller Children’s & Women’s guest speaker, Dr. Rachel Sirignano, spoke passionately about the life-saving capabilities of an ECMO machine. She emphasized to the bidding crowd how this essential technology provides advanced cardiac and respiratory support, often serving as a final lifeline for critically ill children.

“Last year, thanks to the generous support of this community, we were able to purchase an ECMO machine that has already saved lives – giving some children the chance to walk out of our hospital just weeks after being critically ill,” says Rachel Sirignano, M.D., pediatric cardiac intensivist, Children’s Heart Institute, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “No child should have to be transferred outside their community for life-saving care. Our goal is to ensure that Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital has the capacity to treat every child who needs ECMO, right here at home.”

The unwavering efforts of the Miller Children’s Auxiliary have not gone unnoticed, as they continue to champion fundraising initiatives like the Fashion Show, shopping fair, and hospital gift shop. Their cumulative contributions, totaling over $18 million, reflect their commitment to advancing healthcare for children. The Auxiliary has pledged $600,000 over the next three years, toward funding the purchase of the pediatric ECMO machine that will provide lifesaving support to patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

A brightly lit ballroom with wired, chandelier-like lights with a white, glass walkway running through the center with a man in a tuxedo leading a big, black dog to a woman in a black dress, who is petting the dog.
Fashion attendees donate $25 for a chance to pet a furry friend, all in support of ECMO care at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

The success of this year’s Fashion Show exemplifies the theme Hope Is Where the Heart Is, as the community’s generosity continues to help Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital provide children with the best chance for brighter, healthier futures.