The parents of Sebastian Ferrero, the 3-year-old who died after a chemical overdose at Shands at UF's pediatrics unit, pledged Wednesday to match $1 million in donations made this year to their foundation, which aims to create a full-service children's hospital in Gainesville.
Horst and Luisa Ferrero, creators of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, announced the plan during a news conference at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
At the news conference, several Shands and UF officials signed a pledge with the Ferreros stating they would work to improve pediatric care.
On Oct. 8, Sebastian was taken to a UF pediatric clinic to determine if he had a slow growth rate but a nurse administered more than 10 times the amount of a testing chemical. He died at Shands at UF on Oct 10.
The Ferreros received an $850,000 settlement from Shands after Sebastian died.
Dr. Mike Good, senior associate dean of the College of Medicine, said in an interview after the news conference that the Sebastian Ferrero Office of Clinical Quality and Safety would be responsible for all patient-safety programs. The office will be housed in the College of Medicine.
Dr. David Kays, surgeon-in-chief of Shands Children's Hospital, said in an interview that he was in favor of the Ferrero's plan to build a free-standing local children's hospital. He said the demand is certainly there.
"I think if we build it, they will come," Kays said.
Gilbert Levy, a Gainesville businessman, was first to answer the Ferreros' challenge, making a surprise, undisclosed donation at the conference. The foundation has already raised about $80,000 so far, Horst Ferrero said.
Luisa Ferrero, who is expecting her third child this August, thanked Levy for the foundation's first contribution, which will be doubled under the Ferrero's matching incentive.
"It's still a long, long way to achieve our final goal," she said. "But things have changed."
