Sebastian Ferrero Foundation Founders Horst and Luisa Ferrero’s happy and healthy 3-year old son, Sebastian Ferrero died at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida in October 2007 as a result of a medication overdose followed by a series of preventable medical errors.

After Sebastian’s death, Horst and Luisa heard from many concerned pediatricians and parents in the community about improvements that could be made in patient safety and pediatric care.

To honor their son and to turn their tragedy into something positive, Horst and Luisa Ferrero established the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation to serve as a catalyst for profound change in the way hospitals and health care professionals care for children and their families.

Since forming the Foundation, Horst and Luisa have received widespread support and have been encouraged by the progress that has been made in a very short time. Community leaders, parents and more than 150 local pediatricians and pediatric specialists have come together with many others from Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida College of Medicine to support the Foundation’s cause.

The mission of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation is to advocate and fundraise for a state-of-the-art, full service children's hospital in Gainesville, Florida, while promoting excellence in patient safety and ensuring that all families are treated with compassion, courtesy and dignity.

The ultimate goal is to build a state-of-the-art, full service children’s hospital in Gainesville. While the Foundation advocates and fundraises for this dream, it is partnering with Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida College of Medicine to develop a nationally recognized, comprehensive patient safety program that will be implemented as part of the Sebastian Ferrero Office of Clinical Quality and Safety. The safety programs implemented as part of this new office in memory of Sebastian will benefit all patients at Shands HealthCare, not just children.

The momentum continues with the Foundation’s recent partnership with UF&Shands and shared vision, which was a result of the joint Children’s Hospital Needs Analysis to of being “the leading provider of pediatric health and wellness services in the state of Florida and a national leader in pediatric research, innovation and education.”

The results of the joint study confirm the Foundation’s mission and advocacy for transformative pediatric healthcare change, as it reveals the opportunity and necessity for major changes and investment in growth. The study found UF&Shands can become a state and national leader in patient-centric pediatric health and wellness services by building on existing strengths, capitalizing on growing demand for pediatric services and committing the necessary resources and investments.  The Foundation is committed to serving as stewards ensuring the investments made are focused on meeting the specific needs of pediatric patients, their families, and the community, adopting a more patient- and family-centered integrated care model and growing the ranks of physician specialists and pediatric trained nurses.

To date, the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation has raised close to $7 Million in contributions including a $5 Million commitment from Gainesville native Craig Silverstein, Google’s Technology Director, and the completion of the Ferrero’s $1 Million Match program and the steadfast support from the broader Gainesville, Florida community allowing the Foundation to continue down an extraordinary path.