History

In the mid-1800's the cries of children were often heard, and often ignored until finally, one man could bear it no more. Dr.Charles Devendorf, a well-known Harper physician began the Children's Free Hospital Association on the ground floor of Harper Hospital in Detroit. Devendorf convinced 17 Detroit women to help furnish a hospital bed and clothing for sick children regardless of race, religion or ability to pay.

He told the women, "You have no idea how many poor men and women in Detroit lose their situations through being compelled to stay at home with a sick child.

In this plan of ours we'll not only do everything possible for the child, but in many cases prevent people from being thrown out of work and reduced to abject poverty," said Dr. Devendorf. "We will take the most hopeless cases. All the children who are suffering from want of care or illness in Detroit will be nursed and made well if we can do it," added Devendorf.

Children's Hospital has been fulfilling this mission ever since, and has expanded its role in ways that Dr. Devendorf could never have imagined.

It was Hiram Walker, however, who was responsible for taking Children's Hospital from a series of rented houses and barns to an admirable facility.

The tragedy of losing his 13-year-old daughter, Jennie Melissa, inspired Walker in 1896 to donate a new building at St. Antoine and Farnsworth streets to Children's Hospital.

Today, Children's Hospital has both a national and international reputation for its leadership role in pediatric medicine and research. Its current mission is to meet the physical and emotional needs of youngsters with common childhood illnesses, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of rare and unusual diseases.

As Children's grew into a state-of-the art hospital, it served both as a pioneer and advocate by leading the way in researching Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, genetically caused childhood diseases, and nutrition needed to improve maternal and child health, and lobbying state legislature to write laws that would identify and protect abused and battered children.