Jackson Chance Foundation

Jackson Chance Foundation Medical studies have proven that physical touch has equal benefits to medical care for premature and ill babies. Visit our donation page to help us expand.

The Jackson Chance Foundation is an Illinois nonprofit organization that ensures that every NICU baby receives their basic human right – advocacy, support, and human touch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By removing the financial burden of parking fees for families, we make that this basic human right isn’t taken away. The Jackson Chance Foundation works directly with hospitals to provide parking passes for each and every baby in the NICU, regardless of need because it is our belief that every baby needs a parking pass. Currently, our program available at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago with the goal of adding Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital in the near future.

OWL GIVE AWARD 2026 NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT 🎉 Neonatal Nurse Appreciation Week 💜Neonatal nurses hold space for the hardest mom...
09/17/2026

OWL GIVE AWARD 2026 NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT 🎉 Neonatal Nurse Appreciation Week 💜

Neonatal nurses hold space for the hardest moments and the most hopeful ones, often in the same shift. They monitor every heartbeat, every breath, every tiny milestone. They comfort parents who are scared and exhausted. They learn each baby’s name, each family’s story, and carry that care with them long after their shift ends.

This year’s 33 Owl Give Award nominees remind us why this work matters so deeply. These heroes, including many NICU nurses, were nominated largely by the very families whose lives they changed.

Tomorrow, September 18th, we’ll be announcing our 2026 finalists! All finalists will receive an invitation to the Ping Pong Ball for them and a plus one, and one lucky winner will be gifted an all-expense-paid tropical vacation to be announced before the end of NICU Awareness Month!

While nominations are now closed until the 2027 season, we are so grateful to every family who participated in this year’s program and helped us recognize the incredible NICU heroes who serve their families and communities through unwavering dedication.

Join us in celebrating NICU Awareness Month by donating a parking pass to a future NICU family in honor of these heartfelt stories and the healthcare heroes behind them at jacksonchance.org/owlgiveaward 💟

🦉 OWL GIVE AWARD 2026 NOMINEES 🤍 Neonatal Nurses Day (Swipe through to read amazing stories)This week, we celebrate the ...
09/15/2026

🦉 OWL GIVE AWARD 2026 NOMINEES 🤍 Neonatal Nurses Day (Swipe through to read amazing stories)

This week, we celebrate the extraordinary nurses who show up for our smallest, most fragile patients and their families every single day.

Neonatal nurses hold space for the hardest moments and the most hopeful ones, often in the same shift. They monitor every heartbeat, every breath, every tiny milestone. They comfort parents who are scared and exhausted. They learn each baby’s name, each family’s story, and carry that care with them long after their shift ends.

The Jackson Chance Foundation’s Owl Give Award honors these remarkable nurses — nominated by the very families whose lives they’ve changed. But recognition is only part of our mission.

Every day, JCF works to ensure that NICU families can be present and supported during their baby’s stay, because we know that when families can be at the bedside, outcomes are better. From providing essential supplies and financial assistance to funding programs that strengthen the connection between families and their care teams, JCF bridges the gap so that no family faces the NICU journey alone.

This September, in honor of NICU Awareness Month, you can donate in these nurses’ names - including any of our amazing 2026 Owl Give Award nominees - and help us continue supporting NICU families and the healthcare heroes who care for them at jacksonchance.org/owlgiveaward 💛

SWIPE TO READ

⚾🏓 CAPTAIN SPOTLIGHT: Albert Almora Jr.12th Annual Ping Pong Ball - Nov. 6, 2026You know the name. You remember the mome...
09/11/2026

⚾🏓 CAPTAIN SPOTLIGHT: Albert Almora Jr.
12th Annual Ping Pong Ball - Nov. 6, 2026

You know the name. You remember the moment. Albert Almora Jr. — former first-round draft pick, 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, and a player who helped bring a title back to the North Side for the first time in 108 years.

Now he’s stepping up to a different kind of table.

We’re thrilled to announce Albert as one of our celebrity captains for the 12th Annual Ping Pong Ball on Friday, November 6 at SPIN! Since hanging up his cleats, Almora has stayed rooted in Chicago — opening a training center and dedicating himself to mentoring the next generation of young athletes. He’s bringing that same fire, heart, and competitive edge to the table for an incredible cause.

At the Ping Pong Ball, each March Madness-style tournament bracket is led by a celebrity captain — your coach, your umpire, and your biggest fan throughout the competition. Sports and media legends from across Chicago will battle it out alongside guests for the championship title — all to raise critical funds for NICU families. This is followed by touching messages about our mission, a live auction, and so much more.

Every dollar raised provides complimentary hospital parking so parents of critically ill babies can be where they need to be most — right by their baby’s side.

🎟️ TICKETS ON SALE NOW:
🔥 Early Bird Tickets — $200 (going fast, while supplies last!)
🎫 General Admission — $300
👦 Under 16 — $111
🤝 Next Gen (under 30, includes 2 tickets) — $300

Want to go big while making an impact? Reserve a TABLE for your crew! Check out our link in bio for more information. The clock is ticking to grab your tickets and tables before they’re gone!

09/10/2026

What a wonderful morning with Fox 32 Chicago!

Our co-founder Carrie Meghie had the honor of joining Fox 32 Chicago Natalie Bomke (Natalie Bomke) and Tia Ewing (T I A|E W I N G) to discuss exciting developments for the Jackson Chance Foundation.

Carrie spoke about our recent Comer Children’s Hospital launch, Jackson’s story and how it inspired her and her husband Terry to start JCF, and the very real impact that something as simple as parking has on families with children in the NICU — and why this mission remains so close to her heart.

She also shared the many ways JCF continues its fundraising efforts to keep our programs running at four major Chicago hospitals, including our biggest annual fundraiser — the Ping Pong Ball, taking place November 6 at SPIN Chicago! Tickets are on sale now!

Thank you to Fox 32 Chicago for having us on and for featuring this major milestone for our foundation. We are so grateful for the continued support as we work to ease the burden on families during their most difficult days.

None of this would be possible without the generous giving of our community, in Chicago and beyond, who support JCF’s critical mission and continue to pay it forward to help future NICU families.

🏓🎉 Grab your tickets and tables for the Ping Pong Ball today! Jacksonchance.org/pingpongball 🤍

🦉Owl Give Award Nominee SpotlightMeet Gabriella Nardulli, NICU Nurse at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, nomin...
09/08/2026

🦉Owl Give Award Nominee Spotlight

Meet Gabriella Nardulli, NICU Nurse at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, nominated by Kaylee Zeilenga 💚

Baby Lyla was born at just 25 weeks, weighing only 1 Ib 4 oz, and spent 190 days in the NICU. She was later diagnosed with BPD at 35 weeks — and through it all, Gab became the family’s steady source of comfort, strength, and light.

From the very beginning, Gab made sure the family felt informed, included, and confident in Lyla’s care. Kaylee shares:

“She didn’t just care for our daughter - she advocated for her, communicating thoughtfully with the medical team and ensuring Lyla’s needs were always prioritized.” But what made Gab truly exceptional was the way she cared for the entire family — recognizing that a NICU stay affects more than just the patient and showing up for all of them.

Gab turned bath time into meaningful “spa days,” creating moments of calm and normalcy in a place that often felt anything but. She organized little photo shoots, helping the family capture beautiful, joyful memories during a season that could have easily been overshadowed by fear. “Because of her, we have moments frozen in time that remind us not just of how hard that season was, but how much love and light existed within it.”

More than a nurse, Gabriella became a friend — offering encouragement, reassurance, and even moments of laughter when the family needed them most. “Her compassion, dedication, and ability to truly see and support NICU families embody the mission of the Jackson Chance Foundation.”

Nominations are now closed, but you can still visit jacksonchance.org/owlgiveaward to read about all of our incredible nominees — and during NICU Awareness Month, you can donate a parking pass in their honor to celebrate their dedication and impact! Plus, it’s never too late to tell your NICU hero about the impact they had on your family’s lives.

Owl Give Award Finalists and one lucky winner will be announced later this month!

September is NICU Awareness Month. For our founders, Carrie and Terry Meghie, it’s also the month their world changed fo...
09/08/2026

September is NICU Awareness Month. For our founders, Carrie and Terry Meghie, it’s also the month their world changed forever, when they had to say goodbye to their son Jackson.

Jackson Chance came into this world on 11.11.11 at 11:11pm — as unique as the day he was born. He spent every one of his ten months in the NICU. He was a fighter and the happiest baby they’ve ever known. On September 7, 2012, Jackson passed away in his mother’s arms while holding his father’s hand. He was just shy of 10 months old.

What Jackson gave Carrie and Terry in those ten months was more joy than they could hope for in a lifetime. And what they learned in that NICU — that presence matters, that showing up changes everything, that families deserve support during the hardest chapter of their lives — became the foundation for everything we do today.

Jackson Chance Foundation was born from the deepest loss and the deepest love. Fourteen years later after unimaginable loss, Jackson’s legacy lives on in every family we help stay at the bedside, in every barrier we remove, and in every moment a parent gets to be with their baby because someone showed up for them.

September will always be heavy for the Meghies, JCF, and for so many NICU families we have the honor to know in this community. But it’s also a reminder of why this work matters. For Jackson. For every NICU family. For every moment that counts.

This month, you can honor Jackson’s memory by sponsoring a parking pass for a NICU family. For just $300, you can cover one full month of parking — saving a family up to $1,000 and giving them the gift Jackson’s legacy was built on: time with their baby. Donate at jacksonchance.org.

Our goal at JCF is to enrich the lives of other NICU families and to help them, above all else, enjoy each and every moment they have with their baby. Thank you honoring Jackson’s legacy by being a part of this mission 🤍

Owl Give Nominee Spotlight 🦉in NICU Awareness Month 💚Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing the stories behind a fe...
09/07/2026

Owl Give Nominee Spotlight 🦉in NICU Awareness Month 💚

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing the stories behind a few of this year’s Owl Give Award nominees — and every single one has reminded us why NICU nurses are extraordinary. Today’s spotlight is no exception. Meet Samantha Tsang, a NICU nurse at Lurie Children’s Hospital, nominated by Carrie Anselmo.

Carrie’s son Logan was born at 24 weeks. After surgery and the difficult decision to stay at Lurie for treatment of severe BPD, Carrie’s family was facing what no parent imagines — an extremely long NICU stay. Then came Logan’s first Halloween.

“Outside, it was snowing. Inside the NICU, I stood beside an isolette instead of walking my baby down a sidewalk. I was grieving the motherhood I thought I would have, while trying to be strong for the one I was given. We decided Logan would be Harry Potter — the boy who lived. Because that’s who he was. That’s who he is.”

Logan was the last baby photographed that day. Samantha was his nurse.

“She slowed down in a place where everything moves fast. She gently worked around wires and tubing. She carefully placed each accessory as if she were dressing her own child. She drew his tiny lightning bolt scar with such tenderness and intention.”

“For a few minutes, I wasn’t calculating oxygen settings or staring at monitor numbers. I was simply a mom smiling at her baby on his first Halloween. She restored a piece of motherhood that felt like it had been taken from me.”

“Every time I look at those photos, I don’t see wires or diagnoses. I see resilience. I see strength. I see the boy who lived. And I see the nurse who understood that healing is not only clinical — it is emotional, human, and deeply personal.”

Helping parents be parents — even in the most unimaginable circumstances. That is what NICU nurses like Samantha do every day.

🦉 Nominations are now closed, but you can visit jacksonchance.org/owlgiveaward to read about all of our incredible nominees — and during NICU Awareness Month, you can donate a parking pass in their honor!

Finalists and one lucky winner will be announced later this month! 💚

5 ways to support 4,000 NICU families annually across Chicago with Jackson Chance Foundation 🧡We often get this question...
09/04/2026

5 ways to support 4,000 NICU families annually across Chicago with Jackson Chance Foundation 🧡

We often get this question for past families wanting to give back, as well as from new supporters wanting to get involved. During NICU Awareness Month, we wanted to share some easy ways to stay involved and support JCF, which in turn helps us to enrich the lives of NICU families through our NICU transportation programs providing free NICU parking at Lurie Children's, Northwestern Medicine, Rush Children’s Hospital, and now Comer Children's Hospital!

When your baby is in the NICU, the last thing you should have to worry about is parking fees. That’s where JCF comes in — and here’s how YOU can help:

1️⃣ Share your story. If your family has been through a NICU journey, sharing your experience and how JCF made an impact helps raise awareness and lets other families know they’re not alone. This is necessary for our message to reach a wider audience and maintain consistent support!

2️⃣ Join us at the Ping Pong Ball. Grab your tickets to JCF’s largest annual fundraiser, purchase a table, sponsor a package! Our 2026 PPB takes place November 6, 2026. Come play, bid on auction items, and help fund parking for thousands of NICU families.

3️⃣ Host a third-party fundraiser. Celebrating your baby’s first birthday? Consider collecting JCF donations in lieu of gifts to pay it forward to future NICU families.

4️⃣ Sponsor a monthly parking pass. A $300 donation funds one month of unlimited, 24/7 parking for a NICU family — removing a real barrier so parents can be with their baby.

5️⃣ Honor a NICU hero. Nominate a NICU team member during our Owl Give Award season, or donate a parking pass in honor of someone whose kindness and care changed your family’s story forever (all year-round).

✨ BONUS: Spread the word. Talk to your friends and family about the significance of NICU parking, share our social media and website, and help educate others about the unique challenges of the NICU that you can only truly understand if you’ve lived it.

Every action, big or small, makes a difference. 💛 learn more at Jacksonchance.org - links in bio!

Here’s to enriching the lives of the NICU families at Comer Children's Hospital, by helping parents be present to suppor...
09/03/2026

Here’s to enriching the lives of the NICU families at Comer Children's Hospital, by helping parents be present to support their critically ill babies. We are so excited to be here 💚

09/03/2026

Thank you for sharing our story and celebrating this milestone with us, CBS Chicago and Dana Kozlov. Jackson Chance Foundation is so excited that we have officially launched our fourth partnership for our NICU transportation program at University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital!!

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