2023 Free Care Fund: Staff at UPMC Children's Hospital helps family navigate after life-altering diagnosis
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A young man is alive today thanks to the special care he received at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Evan Foster and his father, James, love to play, watch TV together and make dinner.
"I feel like I'm Evan's arms and legs," James Foster said.
But most importantly, James Foster is his son's advocate. He teaches his son's siblings to be the same.
At 5 months old, Evan Foster was diagnosed with complex cerebral palsy after brain surgery. James Foster was only 24 years old at the time.
"I was a young dad so I didn't know too much about that, what that's going to mean, what that's going to look like his development," he said.
He said he had a lot to learn about his son's condition. When he turned 1, Evan Foster started having mobility issues. It changed how he would navigate the world.
"It was a stroller, wheelchair blend when he was a baby," James Foster said. "It was a journey. It wasn't something that as a young parent I swallowed overnight."
But he was not alone. The staff at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh was there every step of the way.
"Many physicians and staff there that we've come across, they're truly genuine, they truly care about the family, they truly care about the child," James Foster said.
He said it made every visit easier for him and other members of the family.
"I could remember when he was probably 1 or 2 and he was in the hospital, we'd had to visit him and the staff was perfect and I think that's what I love about UPMC Children's Hospital," grandmother Charlotte Foster said. "There's no condemnation for having a disability or an illness."
That's something Evan Foster felt as well.
"He's a very good judge of character. Even as a little boy, he could tell who was for him," Charlotte Foster said.
In a few weeks, Evan Foster will turn 19. For the family, it's a milestone made possible thanks to the people around him, including the staff at UPMC Children's Hospital and those at home.
"I'm grateful that he sees another year, every year," James Foster said. "Each year is just another blessing to see him be around."
The hospital's Free Care Fund ensures that all children receive the same quality care, regardless of their family's ability to pay. And it's your generous donations that keep that fund going, year after year. So please join us Thursday for the 70th annual Free Care Fund telethon. It's from 3-8 p.m. and we have some special surprises in store to mark this milestone year.