UC Davis Children’s Hospital receives $8M estate gift

Four UC Davis Children’s Hospital programs will be supported by an $8 million gift from the estate of Victor and Phela Vesci, who passed away in 2009 and 2022, respectively.

“This was a transformational gift. I believe this is the largest single individual gift ever given to UC Davis Children’s Hospital,” said Satyan Lakshminrusimha, chair of pediatrics and physician-in-chief at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. “On behalf of our team, we are so grateful to the Vescis for their generous spirit of philanthropy. Their legacy will live on in the programs and pediatric patients that we are proud to serve.”

The $8 million gift will be used to support the following:

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A small baby unit now provides dedicated care for infants who are born less than 27 weeks gestation or weigh less than 2.2 pounds.

Pediatric Critical Care: This funding will support children in the Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, as well as the Pediatric Heart Center.

Gastroenterology: This gift will allow the pediatric GI division to purchase new diagnostic technology to support the growth of its neurogastroenterology (the neurology of the body’s GI tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas), motility, and inflammatory bowel disease programs.

Pulmonology: The funds will be used to start comprehensive pulmonary function testing and sleep apnea testing programs. This will improve the access to care for pediatric pulmonology patients and will enhance the quality of care provided to children from the region with various pulmonary and sleep-related problems.

Victor and Phela Vesci’s first gift to UC Davis Children’s Hospital was $20 in 2006. Phela Vesci made an additional donation of $330,000 to support the UC Davis Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit’s expansion in 2011 and a donation of $150,000 to help fund the new Children’s Surgery Center in 2017.

“I had the privilege of meeting Phela Vesci and showing her the new Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit,” said JoAnne Natale, associate chief medical officer for children's health at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. “She was a wonderful woman, and she was so committed to pediatric care. This gift is amazing news for our hospital and will be a lasting legacy for her and her husband.”