Logan Health Children’s Hospital Celebrates 5th Anniversary, Unveils Hall of Heroes

Logan Health Children’s Hospital celebrated its fifth year of providing pediatric health care throughout Montana and the Flathead Valley on Tuesday.

“It’s really important to have a facility that specifically treats children to give them the highest level of care and the most modern care possible. This facility is able to serve all of Montana, so it’s a good thing that they have the pediatric physicians and health care providers that they need,” said Dena Cornell, director of inpatient women’s and children’s services.

The anniversary was celebrated with the unveiling of a Hall of Heroes that represents their patients and some of the children who survived and are now thriving.
“The Hall of Heroes is about helping families who come in with very, very sick children to find hope and see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that the kids are getting better. They are very, very resilient,” Cornell said.

Some of the children featured on the Wall of Heroes were there to share their stories, including Colman Lee, who has been a patient at Logan Health for 10 years, since before the children’s hospital was established.

“It means a lot to me because it’s helped me since I was two years old and everything I’ve been through, the hard times. I can bring my friends, my family and whoever I want,” Lee said.

The creation of the children’s hospital was important for local families because they could stay on site while still receiving the care they needed.

Kiana Wilson/MTN News

“It’s just great to have everything here so the family can be in town and not out of state and his siblings and I can come visit,” Lee’s father said.

The opening of the Hall of Heroes was a heartwarming event that brought together families and patients to celebrate some of the successes made possible by the hospital.

“It’s amazing to see kids who have been very sick and have chronic illnesses and because of their resilience, they can come back and have full lives,” Cornell told MTN. “And it’s really cool to watch them grow. It’s emotional because you know what tragedies they’ve been through, but it’s also a joy because they’ve grown and their lives are moving forward.”