Patients, Families At UNC Children's Hospital Benefit From Fund-Raiser

A radiothon held by

North Carolina Children's Promise

raised over $330,000 on Thursday.

The money goes to special programs that benefit young patients, like 3-year-old Angel Andrade Hernandez, and their families.

Angel is a regular at North Carolina Children's Hospital.

"He comes every few weeks because he has cancer in the liver," mother Laura Hernandez said.

Angel usually comes to the hospital for chemotherapy. On a recent visit, he needed antibiotics to treat an infection and needed to stay hospitalized for about 20 days.

Angel's mother and his 9-year-old brother, Juan, stay close by. Juan keeps up with his studies with the help of hospital tutors.

"It's for patients, but they can make arrangements for him so he can not lose his school," Hernandez said.

Juan is an important part of Angel's progress.

"I take care of him, I play with him, and sometimes, when he cries, I take a movie out and give it to him. If he wants ice cream, I go get it for him," Juan said.

The fund-raiser helps pay for special programs, like those that provide for Juan's schooling and the whole family's education about Angel's condition.

Pediatrics chairman Dr. Alan Stiles said the donations also pay for nurse training programs necessary for working with special children who come from across the state.

"We love what we do here, and the money helps us to do it better," Stiles said. "Our goal here is to stay on the cutting edge and this lets us do that."