The Chase Foundation

Every Tuesday, Ryan Anderson checks into Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to administer a weekly dose of compassion and diversion to the children in the cancer ward.

For the past two years, Ryan, a Portfolio Control analyst for Capital Group Private Client Services, has been devoting his time to making these children’s hospital stays a little easier.

As a volunteer for the Chase Child Life Program, Ryan plays games or creates art with the older children, reads bedtime stories to the younger ones, and sometimes sings to the infants—anything to make life in the hospital seem a bit more normal for them.

"A hospital can be a scary place for a kid, but I think I help ease some of their fears," explains Ryan. "I understand how they feel, because I’ve been there myself."

Affected by a pair of conditions (bilateral microtia and aural atresia), Ryan was born without ears or ear canals. Thanks to medical technology and cosmetic surgery, Ryan now looks—and hears—like any other person. But

getting to that point involved 16 surgeries, eight of them performed at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, when Ryan was between 4 and 8 years old.

"My own experience at the hospital has had a profoundly positive impact on my life, and much of that is due to the wonderful staff and volunteers who were there for me," Ryan notes. "They assured me that everything would be okay, and helped me make it through those tough times. Those individuals made all the difference in the world to me. I want to do the same for these wonderful kids."

Ryan spent his college years in Utah, where he earned an economics degree from Brigham Young University. After graduating, he returned to Los Angeles and was determined to give back to the hospital where he’d spent much of his childhood.

Through Capital, Ryan enrolled in the Riordan Volunteer Leadership Development Program and completed an internship with the Chase Foundation, through which he was already volunteering at the hospital. Last November, Ryan officially joined the foundation’s board of directors. Due to his efforts, the Chase Foundation received a generous grant from Capital, which directly funds the Chase Child Life Program.

The Chase Child Life Program’s mission is to address the emotional, social and developmental needs ofthe young patients. Art, therapy and interactive programs enable children to play, draw, or simply hang out with other children their age and momentarily take the focus off their illness. The goal is to support hospitalized children and their families to maintain some normalcy in their lives and minimize trauma.

Every day, the hospital’s playrooms are filled with volunteers and a Child Life Specialist supervising up to 40 children. Ryan has developed a wide variety of skills—from making paper hats to beading bracelets to mastering Wii games. "I can sometimes win against my friend Morris, who’s 6," he brags.

As a weekly volunteer, Ryan forms special bonds with many of the patients. One of his favorites is Michelle, an 8-year-old leukemia patient. When Ryan was away for the holidays, Michelle didn’t forget that he had promised to make friendship bracelets with her. Ryan kept his word when he returned, and she’s been happily wearing that bracelet for a month.