After five years of steadfast fundraising for UPMC Children’s, Susan and Jerry Englehart have established the Elijah Samson Englehart Endowment for Pediatric Oncology in honor of their son, Eli. Read more below.
Before his passing, Eli loved Pittsburgh. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, cheered for the sports teams, and loved the city as a whole. Eli accepted a job offer in Pittsburgh for after he graduated in the spring of 2018. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer before he could celebrate this new stage of life.
Although Eli was not treated at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, his parents, Susan and Jerry, chose to support UPMC Children’s in honor of Eli’s love of Pittsburgh. Their gift is a way of highlighting this great city and the life-saving care, treatment, and research happening at UPMC Children’s.
Establishing the Elijah Samson Englehart Endowment for Pediatric Oncology
“We have held a memorial golf tournament for Eli for the past 5 years — and we plan to continue!” says Susan. “We’ve always donated the proceeds to UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation, and recently decided to create an endowment in Eli’s honor as a way to keep his light alive forever.”
Susan and Jerry created the Elijah Samson Englehart Endowment for Pediatric Oncology by making UPMC Children’s Foundation a partial beneficiary of their estate. “We were donating from the tournament anyway, so now that money goes toward the endowment,” says Susan. “It’s even easier now that it’s set up.” This endowment transforms their giving into a legacy that will help future patients for years to come.
The Engleharts hope to help the families of the children impacted by childhood cancer, removing the financial burden so they can focus on healing — and ultimately finding a cure.
“We had a child battle cancer and hope we can help other families through that horrible experience with financial support,” Susan says.
"Because of what happened to Eli, we hurt every day but this is something we can do to keep his light alive and take him with us as we journey forward. We hope our short story inspires others to consider giving in honor of their own experience or in honor of other families.”
Leave a Legacy
Susan and Jerry’s gift in memory of Eli is remarkable and impactful. Consider a gift that creates a legacy of life-changing care. Your support symbolizes your choice to join the effort to revolutionize children’s health. Learn more about planned giving today.