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Enid and Jerry Weygandt established their Madison roots in 1968 when Jerry accepted a teaching position at the Wisconsin School of Business. Together, they built a beautiful family, while deepening their ties and affection for the city and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Since 2012, the Weygandts have been steadfast supporters of American Family Children’s Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Countless types of personal experiences may ignite a donor’s passion to support a particular area. Family motivated Enid and Jerry’s philanthropic goals. It began when one of their grandchildren had to spend more than three months in a neonatal intensive care unit in Saint Paul. Then, another required heart surgery in Milwaukee. Both of their grandchildren are well and thriving, and those harrowing experiences left them with the desire to ensure that families in the Madison area have access to state-of-the-art pediatric care.

As long-time donors of UW Health’s American Family Children’s Hospital, the Weygandts chose to establish the Enid and Jerry Weygandt Professorship in Pediatric Critical Care, which was awarded in 2020 to Dr. Peter Ferrazzano, chief of pediatric critical care medicine.

“Since the hospital’s opening, we’ve been impressed by the doctors and staff — their intent and level of care for the children — in every encounter we’ve had,” shares Jerry. “We are so happy to have this very fine children’s hospital as a part of the Madison landscape.”

Because of donors like the Weygandts, advancements in care for critically ill children are now possible, providing comfort and outstanding medical support to families in Madison and beyond.

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