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LEHI — Rob Blodgett, of Lehi, said he and his wife spent the first six weeks of his son's life at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. He was teary-eyed as he spoke about meeting other families in the cafeteria and gardens of the hospital on Thursday.
He said their son, Talmage, was born with only the right side of his heart and he needed immediate medical care, including a significant surgery days after his birth.
During a tour of the cardiac intensive care unit at Primary Children's, before Talmage's birth, the father said it was overwhelming to see all of the tubes and monitors — but when their son was born, they didn't see all of the things Talmage was hooked up to — they just saw him.
"There was our precious little baby being cared for," he said.
The Primary Children's Hospital Lehi building is expected to open in early 2024, and is partially supported by many generous community donations, including a $10 million donation from the Modersitzki family announced during Thursday's press conference and a tour of the outpatient area of the new hospital.
Now, Talmage is 5, and he enjoyed playing Thursday with the Modersitzki grandchildren in the therapy areas at the new Lehi campus of Primary Children's — and the new facility will significantly shorten the distance he needs to travel to get to medical appointments.
Modersitzki family
Blake Modersitzki, who is a venture capitalist, said he was out of town working when a colleague told him his wife wanted him to respond to her texts and voicemails; he saw the first text which looked routine and said "OK" to the line of texts thinking he'd read them later.
Later, he realized the final text was his wife asking if he would be OK with donating $10 million to Primary Children's, instead of the $1 million he thought they had planned. Blake Modersitzki said the excitement of the children in a family group text helped him get behind the new number.
He talked about his grandmother who worked as a nurse and his other grandmother who worked as a switchboard operator and later oversaw office work; he said he grew up in a hospital with them.
Blake Modersitzki said donating publicly rather than anonymously honors his grandparents. He said his family is humbled and excited to be part of the new hospital.
"I have four grandchildren. I think they're going to be OK, but, you know what — if they need this hospital, we need to be part of it today," he said.
Sandy Modersitzki said she learned about the children's hospital in their home county during a luncheon at Gail Miller's home, and she invited Primary Children's to show the presentation again to her daughters.
"We are spending their inheritance, so we figured that they probably ought to know what it was going toward," she said.
She said shortly after she got married, her 4-year-old niece was rushed from her home in Idaho to Primary Children's as cancer had spread through her body and to her spine. Sandy Modersitzki said loving care was given to her niece and the whole family by the hospital until her niece passed away at age 7.
"I made a silent commitment then, if ever Blake and I were in a position that we could do more ... I would absolutely do so," she said.
Sandy Modersitzki encouraged surrounding businesses and families who are in a position to give to join them in donating to the hospital.
"This is an absolute treasure being placed in our backyard," she said.
Primary Promise
Katy Welkie, CEO of Primary Children's Hospital, said Primary Promise — the goal to build the nation's model health system for children — was announced one year ago with a goal to raise at least $600 million.
"It is the most ambitious philanthropic initiative for children's health in this generation, in this area. And it is historic; (it) is transformative," she said.
Welkie said it is thanks to the generosity of many families that this goal is "within sight." The hospital has already raised $550 million. The funds are not only helping expand Primary Children's to Utah County, but are helping strengthen and expand care at both campuses.
"We know what a crucial role philanthropy plays at Primary Children's, from 100 years ago when the very first child was cared for to the 120,000 kids that are cared for every year ... philanthropy helps us innovate and provide the care that kids really need," Welkie said.
Welkie said the new campus' learning and gallery will be named for the Modersitzki family.
Lisa Paletta, president of the Primary Children's Lehi campus, known as the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus, told the Modersitzki family their generosity will have a "profound impact" not just for patients and families, but for caregivers as well.
She said the hospital's education center will offer professional development programs for its teams and serve as a community resource to promote health.
Paletta said the outpatient center, which attendees at the press conference had the opportunity to tour, is further along than the hospital, but construction on the hospital will be completed in December. After that, time will be spent training caregivers and preparing the hospital to open in early 2024.
