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As with any organization, the beginning is rarely as defined as history makes it seem. It’s more a series of ideas and actions that culminate in one moment that only when people look back do they recognize as the defining moment.

Dayton Children’s defining moment was October 28, 1967. That is when Elsie Mead, the mother and community activist who led the charge for a local children’s hospital, and Judge Carl Kessler, chairman of the board of trustees, dedicated the new Barney Children’s Medical Center. This was the moment where all the puzzle pieces slipped into place and the picture finally came into focus for the dream of a hospital dedicated to caring for the children of the region.

In the fifty years since, there have been a lot of changes, but one thing remains a constant—children are number one. Join us on a journey that began with a mother’s love and takes flight with the support of a dedicated and generous community, to serve each child as if they were the only child.