Nearly a year ago, the David H. & Christine Billion Pediatric Emergency Department opened its doors with one goal: to be there when kids need us most. Since then, pediatric emergency visits have increased 15%.
As South Dakota’s only emergency department just for kids, the new space has been a lifeline for local families like Jesse and Kelsey Fonkert and their three daughters who found themselves there three times over the last year.
Their infant daughter, Anneliese, fell dangerously ill twice last winter — once with an infection and once with RSV followed by pneumonia.
Scared, overwhelmed and worried, they turned to the peds ED for help. There, the team led by board-certified pediatric emergency medicine specialists quickly assessed Anneliese and developed treatment plans to help her get better.
“The team was kind and caring and made us feel at ease,” Kelsey said. “They walked us through everything so we felt comfortable.”
They found themselves back at the peds ED again this summer when their oldest daughter, Astrid, fell at daycare and needed stitches.
“The doctors and nurses remembered us,” Jesse said. “While we don’t want to ever have to go back, we’ve reflected on how lucky we are to have this service so close.”
“For Astrid, they made a scary experience easier for her,” Jesse said. “Now she wants to be a doctor.”
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Others might have to drive hours to find an emergency department just for kids. We have one 20 minutes from our house with a team who’s passionate about working with children and making them feel comfortable.
Built by Kindness, Just for Kids
After years of dreaming, the vision for the new pediatric emergency department began to take shape in 2024 following a visionary lead gift from David H. and Christine Billion. Over the next 18 months, the project came to life through the generosity of donors across the Sioux Falls region.
For the Fonkerts, knowing the space was made possible through the kindness of others means everything.
“For a city the size of Sioux Falls to have a dedicated peds ED says a lot about the generosity of our community and the people here,” Jesse said. “I remember sitting in the peds ED, hearing the sirens and activity of the main emergency department down the way, and just feeling so thankful to be away from all that and in a space just for kids. It’s hard to describe the comfort we felt.”
Erin Sanderson serves as vice president for the Sanford Health Foundation in Sioux Falls. She said the growth in patients over the last year stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together for kids.
“When a child is sick or injured, nothing matters more to a family than knowing the right care is there. And thanks to the generosity of our community, we have a pediatric emergency department built around the unique needs of local kids and families,” she said. “Seeing these growing numbers of children come through our doors only reinforces how important this space is and how much we need continued support from our community to ensure we can be there for every child who needs us.”
Your Gift. Their Health.
This holiday season, you can give local families the greatest gift of all: the gift of knowing that when an emergency strikes, their child will have access to the care they need, when it matters most.
100% of your gift today will support lifesaving care and services inside the David H. & Christine Billion Pediatric Emergency Department, including:
- Leading-edge equipment, including a dedicated CT scanner
- Vital programs and services like child life and spiritual care
- Access to the region’s only accredited Level II Pediatric Trauma Center and the region’s only pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support program