Children play a big role in the lives of Sharon and Kevin Lamb, owners of Advanced Tissue. “Growing up, I always wanted to be the mom of a large family,” Sharon said. She got her wish. She and her husband have six children, three girls and three boys, ranging in age from 27 years to 11 months.
Her oldest daughter, Kali Evans, is completing her master’s degree in nursing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; her oldest son, Cory, is a vocalist, touring and performing across the U.S.; Amy is a senior in fashion and merchandising at California Lutheran University; Kelsey is a freshman at Ouachita Baptist University, pursuing a music degree; Justin is a sophomore at Arkansas Baptist High School; and Tyler is 11 months old, just on the brink of walking.
The Lambs first became involved with Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) 25 years ago, in 1985, after the birth of their second child, Cory. Born eight weeks early, he weighed a mere 3 pounds, his lungs were underdeveloped, and he had a brain bleed. “Since our first child was born with no medical issues, we were caught off guard with the medical challenges facing Cory, which turned out to be a blessing. We were definitely scared, but we didn’t fully comprehend everything that could have gone wrong.”
Cory underwent surgery and was treated at a Little Rock hospital. During this time, a social worker told the Lambs about a study being conducted at ACH. “Several leading teaching hospitals from around the country were working together to measure the effectiveness of early childhood intervention in the life of a premature baby,” Sharon said.
The Lambs immediately agreed to participate in the study. “We wanted our son to have every opportunity he could in life,” said Sharon, “and we wanted the same for the many other children who were born prematurely. We knew enrolling Cory in the study would help thousands of other kids.”
During the study, Sharon said an ACH representative came to their house each morning to pick Cory up and take him to the ACH-run daycare, where they monitored his development. Each afternoon, they brought him home. “Although we were a very small part of this national study, we believe the opportunity we were given was incredibly important in Cory’s early development,” she said.
Cory stopped visiting ACH when he was 17, and the Lambs assumed they were finished with patient experiences at the hospital. But then in 2007 their daughter, Kali, gave birth to their first grandchild, Parker Evans, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
“The only possible solution was a new type of surgery to begin a corrective process,” said Sharon. “Lucky for us, ACH had a leading cardiovascular surgeon specializing in this surgery. His success rate was nearly 100 percent, which is what you want to hear.”
Sharon said that just a few short years ago, the survival rate for this particular condition was grim. “Today, Parker is 3, and we are preparing for his third and, hopefully, last surgery that will enable him to function with as close to a normal heart as possible. This level of talent is rarely found anywhere, but we have it here at ACH.”
The Lambs’ experiences at ACH—two success stories of thousands —were life changing, serving to dedicate them to the hospital and its mission. “I have been active in Arkansas Children’s Hospital for the past 20 years,” Sharon said. She has served on the hospital board, currently sits on the foundation board and has had her hand in a number of auxiliary projects, including the book cart, Christmas cards, Star ACHiever and more.
Currently, the Lambs are co-chairing the ACH Auxiliary and Foundation’s grandest event of the year, the Miracle Ball, presented by Advanced Tissue and iBERIABANK. As co-chairs, Sharon says she and Kevin are in charge of almost all aspects of the event. “It is a team effort between the two of us, but we certainly couldn’t begin to take on this task without the talented volunteers and knowledgeable foundation staff,” she said. “We have been fortunate to have a number of people working extremely hard behind the scenes, helping us with all the details.”
The much-anticipated ball will begin at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, in Children’s Hall on the ACH campus. Tickets are $500 per person and include a silent auction and cocktails, a six-course dinner prepared by Capers and a live auction and dancing to musical entertainment by Gary Johns Band of Memphis. Some of the coveted live auction items include an Alaskan bear hunt and tickets to the finale of “American Idol.”
“Our goal is to raise $400,000,” said Sharon. “Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a world-class teaching facility and pediatric hospital. Not only does ACH treat children, they also provide the training for more than two-thirds of the pediatricians who practice in Arkansas. That is something, in my opinion, we should be extremely proud of and support in whatever way we can. Kevin and I have been blessed, and we have made ACH our philanthropic priority.”
2010 Miracle Ball
6:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11
Children’s Hall, ACH campus, 1 Children’s Way
$500 per person; call Amy Harkins at 364-1440