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Dance Marathon at Mississippi College Benefits Batson Children’s Hospital


MC administrators joining Dr. Rick Barr, Batson Children's Hospital chairman of pediatrics, at the check presentation on February 8. Pictured L to R: Dr. Jonathan Ambrose, Dr. Jim Turcotte, Dr Rick Barr, Madeline Sanders, Peyton Brown, and Becca Benson

Dancing the night away, Mississippi College students raised $14,250 to benefit Batson Children’s Hospital.

Treating kids from across the Magnolia State, Batson remains an integral part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Doctors and nurses help children facing cancer, heart defects, HIV, asthma, and broken bones.

MC administrator Jonathan Ambrose was delighted to join the check February 8 presentation with Dr. Rick Barr, Batson’s chairman of pediatrics.

“Batson truly cares about its patients and does all that it can for kids to still be kids even when they are ill,” Ambrose said.

MC’s assistant vice president for student affairs, Ambrose speaks from experience.

In April 2016, Jonathan and his wife, Mandy, rushed their daughter, JoElle, now 7, to the emergency room due to complications of Type 1 diabetes. She was immediately transported to Batson Hospital where she stayed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for two days. She moved to a regular room for three more days of care.

“My family and I had no other interaction with Batson before this occurrence, but the way they treated JoElle, it was truly amazing,” Ambrose said. “In fact, she didn’t want to go home at the end of it.”

In recent days, JoElle underwent a procedure at Batson Hospital. “Again, she was treated like family instead of a patient. And again, she left with a smile.”

The positive outcome for the Ambrose family in Clinton inspired Jonathan to step up efforts at Mississippi College as students, faculty and staff helped Batson Children’s Hospital.

The December 2 Dance Marathon on the Clinton campus is linked to the Freshmen Leadership Initiative Program and the Christian university’s Student Life Office. Freshmen worked with six upperclassman mentors, and the event proved to be an overwhelming success.

Batson leaders are impressed with the philanthropic drive by the students.

“We are amazed by the success that the Mississippi College Dance Marathon had in their inaugural year,” said Andrew Russell of Batson Hospital. He serves as the coordinator at the nonprofit Children’s Miracle Network.

The University of Mississippi, the University of Southern Mississippi and St. Joseph Catholic High School join Mississippi College in doing dance marathons to boost Batson Hospital.

Batson Children’s Hospital officials say 100 percent of the donations help young patients. No child is ever turned away because of the inability to pay.

Dance Marathons are special events beyond raising money for sick kids. “It provides such a therapeutic environment for our patients that attend the event,” Russell said. “These students make these children feel like rock stars and we can’t thank them enough for that.”

Administrators like Jonathan Ambrose, Jim Turcotte and Becca Benson seek to make the next Dance Marathon even better as Mississippi College partners with the state’s only children’s hospital.