JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The 13th annual Niswonger Children’s Hospital Radiothon raised $630,000, surpassing its $500,000 goal to fund a neonatal transport unit for critically ill newborns.
Over 48 hours, nearly 1,000 community donations contributed to the total, with a $100,000 gift from longtime benefactor Carol Lawler pushing the fundraiser past its goal.
“This generosity will change lives,” said Jack Simpson, Ballad Health Foundation president.
The new transport unit will transfer critically ill infants to Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s state-of-the-art NICU, expanding neonatal care throughout the region.
The event also marked the conclusion of the Hope Rising campaign, which helped fund a two-story expansion and the J.D. Nicewonder Family Perinatal and Pediatric Institute. Initially projected at $30 million, inflation raised costs to over $52 million. A $16.8 million Tennessee Department of Health grant and community support kept the project on track.
The new NICU, the most advanced in Tennessee and Virginia, is set to open in February 2026.
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