Long Beach designer, Roger Canamar, captivating guests who
erupt in cheer and awe.
The Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary hosted its annual Fashion Show, which not only dazzled attendees, but raised more than $60,000 for a pediatric ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine at the Cherese Mari Laulhere Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. More than 300 guests attended this fashionable event to show their support for Miller Children’s & Women’s and its efforts to improve quality pediatric patient care.
“This is our 67th 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 services and opportunities available at Miller Children’s & Women’s, and this event proved to be a heartfelt testament to the community’s dedication to enhancing pediatric care.”
The Fashion Show was a feast for the senses, with professional models showcasing designs by local Long Beach talents, Roger Canamar and Lourdes Chavez, on the runway. Amidst the glamour, guests engaged in a spirited silent auction, and had vocal artist, LC Powell, and pianist, Richard Castle, serenade the crowd.
Highlighting the critical need for advanced medical equipment, guest speakers Saar Danon, M.D., medical director, Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, and Constantinos Chrysostomou, M.D., medical director, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Program, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, emphasized to the bidding crowd the importance of having access to a lifesaving ECMO machine in a pediatric setting.
“An ECMO machine functions as the heart and lungs, acting as a lifeline for children in cardiac distress, but it’s accessibility is limited and sometimes not even offered at all, due to the need of advanced expertise and experience,” says Dr. Chrysostomou. “Bringing an ECMO machine to the Children’s Heart Institute at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital will give us the ability to care for our community with the most advanced pediatric cardiac cases.”
The tireless 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. In 2024 alone, the Auxiliary pledged $300,000, with increments of $100,000 over the next three years, toward acquiring the pediatric ECMO machine that will provide lifesaving support to patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital.