Sometimes, little moments of joy can make a big difference in someone’s life. This is especially true for medically complex children and their families.
That’s why Nucor Steel Berkeley hosts an auction, dinner, and golf tournament every year to drive innovation and change lives at MUSC Children’s Health. This invite-only tournament brings golf enthusiasts together for a weekend of connection, generosity, and fun on the fairway.
South Carolina’s 25th Annual Nucor Golf Tournament took place between April 26 and 27 this year. Before players gathered for a day of golf on Seabrook Island, tournament sponsors and their guests attended an evening reception at Halls Signature Events in downtown Charleston. The reception consisted of dinner, refreshments, and an auction featuring teddy bears for patients at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH).
This year, 500 bears were sold in 10 minutes – bringing in $50,000 for SJCH. In total, the weekend’s events raised over $500,000.
A small act of compassion with big impact: In a grateful parent’s words
During the reception, sponsors and guests had the opportunity to hear directly from a SJCH patient’s family about the impact of their generosity. Titus Thompson shared his story and expressed gratitude to MUSC and the donors who made his daughter’s care possible.
—
“My name is Titus Thompson, and I am honored to share a little of our family’s story – and how the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital has changed not only our lives but so many around us.
My wife and I are blessed with two incredible daughters, each with their own unique personalities, strengths, and ways of bringing joy into our lives. I’m going to share a part of our journey with our daughter, Mallory, and the path that has shaped our family in ways we never could have imagined.
In 2022, Mallory was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Rauch-Steindl syndrome. Like many rare conditions, it wasn’t something we had ever heard of before. And when you first hear words like that, your world changes in an instant.
You begin asking questions you never expected to ask: What does this mean for her future? What challenges will she face? How do we best support her?
From the time Mallory was just 12 months old, we found ourselves in a rhythm of appointments with neurologists, geneticists, therapists, and more. It can be overwhelming, and at times, it is. But what made all the difference was where we were receiving that care: the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.
At MUSC, we found more than medical expertise, we found a team. A team that saw Mallory as more than a diagnosis. They saw her personality, her determination and her potential. They also saw us – not just as parents trying to keep up, but as partners in her care.
They took the time to explain things when we didn’t understand. They sat with us in moments of uncertainty. And they celebrated the small victories with us, because when you’re on this kind of journey, those small victories mean everything.
And while Mallory has been at the center of many of these experiences, this journey has shaped our entire family, including her sister.
As parents, one of the hardest parts is balancing it all. Being present for doctor visits and hospital stays, while also making sure your other child feels just as loved, just as supported, and just as important. And through it all, we’ve watched our other daughter grow in compassion, patience, and strength in ways that have been incredibly moving. This experience hasn’t just challenged us – it has brought us closer together as a family.
There have been many moments along the way that have tested us.
One of the hardest obstacles we’ve faced so far was the decision for Mallory to have surgery to place a feeding tube.
As a parent, making a decision like that is incredibly difficult. You weigh every option. You worry about every outcome. And you carry the weight of knowing your child is about to go through something significant.
The day of her surgery is one we’ll never forget. There was fear. There was uncertainty. But there was also trust – trust in the team at MUSC, who had walked alongside us every step of the way.
And in the middle of that incredibly difficult time, something small but incredibly meaningful happened.
Mallory received one of the Nucor teddy bears.
To many people, a teddy bear might seem simple. But in that moment, it was so much more than that.
It brought her comfort. It gave her something to hold onto. And, most importantly, it brought a smile to her face when we needed it the most.
In a hospital room filled with machines, wires, and uncertainty, that teddy bear became something familiar – something safe. And as parents, seeing her smile in that moment meant everything to us.
It’s moments like that that remind you that care isn’t just about medicine. It’s about compassion. It’s about understanding. It’s about finding ways to bring light into some of the darkest moments a family can face.
Because of MUSC, Mallory has access to the specialized care she needs.
Because of MUSC, we have a team that walks this journey with us.
And because of MUSC, we have hope.
Hope for continued progress.
Hope for new discoveries and advancements in rare conditions like Rauch-Steindl syndrome.
And hope for a bright and meaningful future for our daughter.
Your support makes a real and lasting difference. It helps provide care, resources, and moments like the one I just described – not just for our family, but for so many others walking similar paths.
It ensures that when another family walks through those hospital doors feeling overwhelmed and unsure, they are met with the same level of care, dedication, and kindness that we were.
It’s hard to fully put into words what that means to a family.
But I can tell you this: It means not feeling alone. It means having someone to turn to. And it means having hope, even on the hardest days.
On behalf of my wife, our daughters, and our entire family: Thank you for your generosity. And thank you for being part of something that truly changes lives.”
Recent Giving Impact stories
