Award Winning Actor Melissa Gilbert Voted Board President of Children’s Hospice Coalition
October 16, 2006 (Los Angeles, CA) – Melissa Gilbert, the award winning actor, director, producer, and former president of the Screen Actor’s Guild, has been elected board president of the Children’s Hospice Coalition (www.childrenshospice.org), a nonprofit organization that works to expand hospice and palliative care services to children who are suffering from life-threatening conditions. Ms. Gilbert has been actively involved as a board member of the organization since 2004.
“We are delighted to have Melissa as our board president,” said Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs, co-founders and co-executive directors of Children’s Hospice Coalition (CHC). “Her dedication, enthusiasm, and tenacity will be an incredible asset as we work together to ensure that all children have the quality and type of care they need as they go through some of life’s most difficult challenges.”
Trisha Meraz was elected to serve as the organization’s vice president. Mrs. Meraz’s son Dustin died from cancer in 2002. Dustin, to whom Ms. Gilbert refers as her “guardian angel,” always wanted to be an actor and Ms. Gilbert arranged for members of the Screen Actors Guild to present Dustin with his honorary Screen Actor’s Guild card. Dustin’s poignant words, “Today is a gift, have fun,” are featured on CHC’s memorial bracelets that are worn by celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Mandy Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, Jeremy Piven, George Clooney, Tom Bergeron, Jane Kaczmarek, and Bradley Whitford.
“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to serve as board president for this remarkable organization,” said Ms. Gilbert. “I have not had to go through the experience of seeing a child of mine on hospice, but as the mother of a seriously premature child, I can understand all too well how heartrending it is to have a sick child. Working with such powerhouses as Devon, Lori, and Trisha, I know that we’ll be able to make children’s hospice and palliative care a reality to the tens of thousands of children who so desperately need it.”
Ms. Gilbert replaces outgoing board president, David Robles, president and CEO of California Commercial Interiors, who served as president for four years. As board president, Ms. Gilbert will be responsible for: overseeing, coordinating and driving the organization’s strategic and tactical operations; developing objectives and timetables for officers and board committees; and serving as the organization’s public spokesperson.
Children’s Hospice Coalition is spearheading the growing movement to ensure that children with life-threatening conditions can live well and die gently. Toward this end, Children’s Hospice Coalition successfully convinced the California State Legislature, California Department of Health, and the Governor’s office to enact the Nick Snow Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Act of 2006, which will assure that children in California have access to compassionate, family-centered care without having to give up treatment intended to save their lives. The bill was signed into law on September 19, 2006.
Children’s Hospice Coalition has several effective and innovative national programs that support families of children with life-threatening conditions including the Partnership for Children, a community care coordination model which promotes family-centered, compassionate care to children with serious illnesses; the Partnership for Parents (www.partnershipforparents.org) a bilingual online support network for parents of seriously ill children; and the Children’s Hospice Coalition’s Memorial Bracelet campaign, which promotes awareness about the unique needs of seriously ill children and their families.
Melissa Gilbert has demonstrated her in-depth knowledge of acting, advocacy, and the entertainment industry during two consecutive terms as the 23rd president of Screen Actors Guild. Ms. Gilbert also has served as vice president on the AFL-CIO executive council, vice president for the California Labor Federation, and as a commissioner on the California Film Commission. A native of Los Angeles and a product of a long line of entertainers, Ms. Gilbert stole America’s heart at age nine when she joined the cast of Little House on the Prairie. Since starring on the popular series for 10 seasons, she has continued her success as an actor, director, and producer—winning awards in all three areas.