Hyundai Brings Hope on Wheels to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

The Bayless Children’s Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is home to the largest childhood cancer program in Tampa. Its team of caregivers are passionate about elevating the quality of care for kids battling cancer and know that strong psychosocial support is vital to this effort. 

“When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it affects the entire family,” said Dr. Don Eslin, medical director of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Hematology-Oncology program. “The survival rates for childhood cancer have improved over the years, and so has the need to help families traverse both short- and long-term scenarios.”

To help further the hospital’s mission to give kids battling cancer and their families help and hope close to home, Hyundai executives and Suncoast-area Hyundai dealers presented St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and Dr. Eslin with a $200,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Grant on Aug. 8, 2023. 

The award will support patient care services in the Bayless Children's Cancer Institute as well as the addition of a dedicated pediatric hematology-oncology nurse navigator who help patients and families navigate the complicated issues that arise during and after cancer therapy.   

“A nurse navigator is a compass for a child while on their health care journey. And the complexities of pediatric cancer care make having a navigator a vital member of our cancer care team,” Dr. Eslin added. 

Immediately following the check presentation, pediatric cancer patients who have received treatment at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital dipped their hands in colorful paint and placed their handprints on a white 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe to commemorate their brave battles with cancer.