Former West Virginia baseball standout Jedd Gyorko donated $100,000 to the capital campaign of WVU Medicine Children’s in what hospital officials are counting as his first homerun of the season.
Gyorko, an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, and his wife, Karley, made the donation recently.
“Karley and I are very excited to help and be part of something that will make such a great impact on this community and the great people of this state and surrounding areas. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to help people anyway we can, especially in the children’s hospital,” Gyorko said in a news release.
“Our twins spent time in the NICU when they were born. We saw what great care was given to them. It has always meant more to us than most, and we are excited we can help.”
Gyorko is WVU’s all-time leader in career batting, doubles and extra base hits and was tied for the most homeruns. In 2010, he was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres and made his Major League debut in April 2013. In December 2015, he was traded to the Cardinals and became the team’s regular third baseman in 2017.
The gift from the Gyorkos will go toward an initiative started by Jeff Hostetler, the former WVU and NFL quarterback and co-chair of the WVU Medicine Children’s campaign. Hostetler wants to create a WVU sports-themed floor in the new tower for Children’s.
Hostetler and his wife, Vicky, are members of the WVU Medicine Children’s Leadership Council and in 2017 established the Jeff and Vicky Hostetler Family Resource Center.
“Jedd and Karley grew up in West Virginia. They know the importance of the hospital and have experience it firsthand,” Hostetler said in the release. “We are excited to have them as part of the Children’s team and as ambassadors for the women and children of the state.”
The floor will be designed to look like a WVU locker room, complete with jerseys, helmets and other sporting equipment. Photos of former WVU athletes will line the walls, and sports-themed games, like foosball and air hockey, will be available.
The 155-bed, eight-story tower is scheduled to be completed in 2020. In addition to the WVU-themed floor, the tower will include:
Diagnostic imaging and a laboratory
Operating rooms, cardiac catheterization, and endoscopy facilities
A 25-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and sedation unit
A Pediatric Cancer Unit
A 61-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
A 30-bed obstetrical unit with potential for expansion
Former athletes, individuals and businesses interested in joining Gyorko and Hostetler in supporting the expansion of WVU Medicine Children’s should contact Janette Gidley, senior director of development, at 304-598-4346 or jgidley@wvumedicine.org.
