Who was Miles Levin and What is the Miles Levin Pediatric Hospital Fund

Who Was Miles Levin:

In 2005, Miles Levin, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, contracted a rare form of cancer. He was sixteen years old. For the next two years, he confronted his condition with exceptional courage and grace, resolving to show how one lives with - and if necessary, dies with - cancer. Miles chronicled his journey online with compelling prose and with an objectivity that allowed the reader to see his remarkable and evolving character standing separate from his disease. His readership grew to over twenty thousand worldwide and his story was published in the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, and on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. In 2008, Miles was awarded the Sarcoma Foundation of America's Leadership in Courage Award, previous recipients including Edward Kennedy, Jr., actor Robert Ulrich and writer Carole Radziwill.

MILES LEVIN PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL FUND

Miles wanted to make an impact during his lifetime. Not only did he accomplish this in a big way during his life, but he continues to make an impact since he has left us. This has already come to fruition in the remote Himalayan villages of Khotang, and is now happening right here at home.

The Miles Levin Pediatric Hospital Fund (MLPHF) was established in 2012, and will provide financial assistance to local families with children going through treatment of cancers and other serious childhood illnesses. These situations are so challenging for families, and the additional stress of a financial burden can be devastating. The MLPHF has been established with the hopes of eliminating this overwhelming circumstance.

This fund is supported by Children’s Miracle Network in conjunction with Beaumont’s Children’s Hospital, the Beaumont Foundation, Michigan Health Professionals (including the divisions of Oakland Medical Group and Comprehensive Urology), and the Jeff Surnow family. Children’s Miracle Network has pledged $25,000 matching funds at our Miles4Miles fundraiser at the 2012 Birmingham Bike Festival!

Beaumont’s Children’s Hospital and Mile’s life became inseparable. Mile’s father Jon reflects:

“Beaumont Children’s Hospital Royal Oak was our second home during Mile’s illness. The south tower food court area was our dining room. The south Pediatric floors were our living room and bedroom. We lived out whole life cycles with the caregivers. Some of Mile’s nurses became pregnant, gave birth, completed maternity leave, and returned to work during his 26 month fight for survival. Miles was a favorite among the nurses perhaps, among other reasons, because he was on the older side for classification as a pediatric patient and was a stimulating conversationalist with a good sense of humor.”

Beaumont’s Children’s Hospital includes the 80,000 square foot William and Marie Carls Children’s Center for inpatient services, a Pediatric Emergency Room providing care for over 24,000 children annually, a state of the art outpatient Pediatric Oncology Unit, and 83 subspecialists representing 36 different pediatric subspecialties. Furthermore, Beaumont has the only affiliation in southeastern Michigan with Children’s Miracle Network.

Miles had a dream of making an impact. You are making that impact become a reality by supporting the Miles Levin Pediatric Hospital Fund.

You can participate in the 2012 fundraiser this August 26 , "Miles4Miles", being held as part of the Birmingham Bike Festival. Individuals or teams will ride their bike (parade-style) on a half mile course in downtown Birmingham. Participants will be asked to fundraise prior to the event, with half the funds going to MLPHF and half the funds going to MLNFHE. For those that don’t want to ride their bike, they can simply make a donation. Please go to Crowdrise.com/miles4miles to either register (no charge) or donate. All donations are tax deductible.

Back to News