Dr. Douglas & Sue Woo & Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Waiting Room

It was a light-hearted moment for Sue Woo and her son, Kevin, as they pointed toward the block dedicating the Dr. Douglas & Sue Woo & Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Waiting Room.

Thirty years ago,however, it was not so light-hearted.  Kevin was diagnosed with a pineal brain tumor at age 11.  "There was nothing here.  We all went to New York and just encamped during his care," said Sue, a mother of five.

Her husband, Dr. Douglas Woo is a radiologist.  "We understood the importance of specialty care. At that time the best was a neurosurgeon, Dr. Bennet Stein but it was still very early in pediatric neurology.  The survival rate was low.  Of the 80 surgeries he had performed only 8 were successful."

"That's why we feel this hospital is so important.  We understand first hand what families go through.  Until El Paso Childen's we never had the breadth of pediatric specialties that we now have.  When it's your child you want the best and, if at all possible, you want the best to be right here near the support of your family and friends," said Sue.

Sue served as the Founding Chair of the foundation that serves University Medical Center and El Paso Children's Hospital and continues to serve as Past Chair.  "Sue Woo has been integral to the Foundation's success.  She is a wonderful role model of a successful business woman, Mother and philanthopist who shares her success by giving back," said Dennece Knight, Executive Director of the Foundation.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Waiting Room is the home of NICU Reunions and a monthly NICU Parents Support Group.  "This NICU holds 52 babies, said Sue, looking around. "That's 52 families hoping and praying their new baby will be okay," said Sue turning to smile at her son.  "We were fortunate.  We got to watch our son grown into a man."