Lurie Children’s Announces Recipients of 2023 Hope & Courage Awards

Awards recognize inspirational community leaders, advocates and young people for their exceptional efforts to promote child health 

Ann  & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has announced the recipients of the 2023 Hope & Courage Awards which recognize exceptional community leaders, advocates and young people who are impacting the health and well-being for every child.  Hope and courage are the building blocks for all that we want our city, our country and our world to become. And we are inspired by the individuals we honored today. They have shown us what hope and courage looks like in our communities. We are grateful to them for their example and their work.  

 “All of us at Lurie Children’ are inspired by these honorees, who show us what hope and courage look like every day in our community,” said Thomas Shanley, MD, President and CEO.  “We are grateful to them for their example and their work.” 

Lurie Children’s is thrilled to share this year’s honorees: 

• Government Leader Award: Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, 18th District 
  Leader Gabel has maintained a strong commitment to serving the people of Illinois as an advocate for women, children, and families. She served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, a non-profit advocacy organization, from 1988 to 2010.  She has been a State Rep since 2010.  This honor recognizes her leadership and dedication to making healthcare accessible, equitable and affordable, improving maternal and child health outcomes, addressing children’s mental health needs, and safeguarding children.
  
  
• Community Advocate Award: Jordan Campbell, Co-founder & Director of Operations, alt_
  Jordan Campbell is the driving force behind the creative energy that pulses through Alt Space Chicago. With a passion for innovation and an eye for design, Jordan has transformed Alt Space into a thriving hub for artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries alike.
  
  Although Jordan wasn’t born or raised in the Windy City, Jordan's passion for Chicago's vibrant culture and history has greatly influenced Alt Space's mission. He believes in harnessing the city's rich artistic heritage while pushing boundaries.
  
  
• Youth Leader Award: Jamarion O’Connor
  Jamarion, 14, who was born with sickle cell disease, knows it takes a village just to care for one person. On regular drives home from Lurie Children’s, where he has received treatment since he was six weeks old, he and his mother Kamilah frequently pass a homeless shelter. The initial sight of community members gathering outside to wait for meals moved young Jamarion. He asked Kamilah if they could invite people to their home to feed them.
  
  With the help of his parents, Jamarion began making paper bag meals and encouraging friends and family to support the cause on social media -- an effort he has now maintained for five years and counting. Jamarion’s resourceful commitment to serving those in need and addressing food insecurity in the face of his own health challenges is a testament to his compassion and perseverance.  

Hope & Courage award recipients were recognized at a breakfast hosted at Malcolm X College.

Previous Hope & Courage award winners have included: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Secretary of State Jesse White and former House Majority Leader Representative Greg Harris; Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar, founders of Kids in Danger; Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), a collaborative for education and racial justice led by students of color from six community organizations across the city of Chicago; and Northwest Center, a critical resource to help families improve their economic wellbeing in Belmont Cragin to help ; Jamarielle Ransom-Marks, a leukemia patient whose family organized one of the largest private blood and bone marrow drives in the Chicago area; Maddi Bertrand, a national Cystic Fibrosis research advocate and Lurie Children’s Kids Advisory Board (KAB) member; and Yalina Lopez, a Lurie Children’s patient living with Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy who advocates for increased government investment for child health.