Lurie Children’s Announces Recipients of 2025 Hope & Courage Awards

Awards honor inspirational community leaders, advocates, and youth for their exceptional contributions to child health and well-being

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is proud to announce the 2025 Hope & Courage Awards recipients, recognizing individuals who have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of children and families. These awards celebrate government leaders, community advocates, and youth who embody determination, compassion, and vision for child health and well-being. Their efforts inspire change and strengthen communities across Chicago and beyond.

“This year’s honorees exemplify the spirit of hope and courage that drives all of us at Lurie Children’s,” said Thomas Shanley, MD, President and CEO. “From advocating for public policies that protect children, to mentoring young people and raising awareness of rare health conditions, their commitment makes a real difference in the lives of countless families.”

2025 Hope & Courage Award Recipients:

• Government Leader Award: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

Since taking office in 2019, Illinois’ 43rd Governor, JB Pritzker, has led the state with a steadfast focus on children, families, and equitable access to care. A national leader on youth mental health, he launched the landmark Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to redesign and streamline services across six state agencies and championed universal mental health screenings for Illinois children. He has safeguarded and worked to close the gap between costs and reimbursement in Medicaid — a vital support for 1.5 million children in Illinois. He was one of the first governors in the nation to opt into a new federal program increasing access to sickle-cell gene therapy for Medicaid enrollees, improving outcomes for vulnerable patients. Governor Pritzker has also created the new Department of Early Childhood to make early learning more accessible. A steadfast advocate for public safety, he has signed measures banning assault weapons and strengthening safe gun storage to keep children and families safe.

• Youth Leader Award: Jadale Mitchell

Jadale Mitchell is a college athlete and advocate living with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT), a rare genetic heart condition. After surviving a sudden cardiac arrest in middle school thanks to the quick actions of friends, Jadale has become a passionate advocate for young people living with rare heart conditions. He competes in Division II track and field at Roosevelt University and is studying to become a History and African American Studies teacher. Jadale works alongside the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation and Project Adam, a national program equipping schools to respond to sudden cardiac events, to raise awareness of sudden cardiac events and promote mental health support. His mission is to inspire youth to embrace life without fear and share their stories.

• Community Advocate Award: Angela Taylor, Garfield Park Community Council Wellness Director

Angela Taylor, Wellness Director for the Garfield Park Community Council, has been a dedicated leader and mentor for Chicago’s West Side and beyond. As a longtime Garfield Park resident, Ms. Taylor is a valuable mentor and role model for young people in the community. Ms. Taylor serves in leadership roles in Garfield Park and throughout the West Side. She participates on The Hatchery Community Advisory Council. Ms. Taylor also serves on the Executive Leadership Council for West Side United. In addition to her work on the West Side, Ms. Taylor is a board member of Chicago Community Gardeners Association, an affiliate of NeighborSpace, she also serves on the founding board of The Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative. As a retiree of the Illinois Department of Human Services, along with her family, manages the award-winning Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden, one of the original sites of the Garden Network.

Previous Hope & Courage award winners have included: Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, 18th District, 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; Jordan Campbell, Co-founder & Director of Operations, alt_, 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; Jamarion O’Connor, a Lurie Children’s sickle cell disease patient passionate about helping to support and feed the unhoused community in Chicago, 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.