SHARE YOUR DUKE CHILDREN'S STORY

If your child is a current or former patient and you are looking for a way to deepen your connection to Duke Children’s, consider becoming a Duke Children’s Patient Ambassador.

Families who join our Patient Ambassador Program are presented a variety of opportunities to get involved with fundraising and awareness campaigns throughout the year. Patient family involvement in these events and activities helps strengthen our donors’ connection to Duke Children’s, ultimately helping us to raise more support for clinical programs, research, and other areas at Duke Children’s that need funding. There are two levels of the Patient Ambassador Program

Champion Patient Ambassador

Champion Ambassadors are selected annually and serve as the faces of Duke Children's fundraising for a 12-month period ranging from September 1 - August 31. These individuals are featured in direct mail and email campaigns and will be our initial asks for events requiring a patient family speaker or presence. Champion families must commit to attending specific events on a monthly basis and be available and responsive to communications. The program launched in 2023 and we announced our second group of families in September of 2024.

Thank you to our 2023-2024 Champion Ambassadors for their incredible enthusiasm and dedication! 

Read more about our 2023-2024 Champions! 

Champion patients must be between 5 and 16 years of age and live in North Carolina. Ideally, they will have also served as Volunteer Patient Ambassadors and have some familiarity with Duke Children's Development activities. Families must be willing to commit to a 12-month period with participation including a photography and video day in August and volunteer commitments totaling approximately two hours each month, with our busiest season being in the late spring into summer. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Lindsay Gordon-Faranda at lindsay.gordon@duke.edu. 

Volunteer Patient Ambassador

Volunteer Patient Ambassadors are are a self-selected group Duke Children's patient families who are willing to volunteer their time and share their stories at events throughout the year. These families do not have hard commitments and can instead pick and choose involvement based on opportunities as they arise. Opportunities are shared via a monthly e-newsletter and/or are sometimes provided on an individual basis depending on needs such as geographical location, patient age, and patient diagnosis type. Opportunities open to all Patient Ambassador families include: 

• Attending Dance Marathons. 
• Visiting participating stores during their corporate fundraising campaigns to thank and encourage associates, including Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Publix, Dairy Queen, Ace Hardware, and more. 
• Sharing Duke Children's fundraising news on social media. 
• Allowing your Duke Children's story to be shared online or in print. 
• Participating in the MIX 101.5 Radiothon via an interview (invitation only).
• Write thank you cards and make thank you phone calls (with guidance from Duke Children's staff). 

All Volunteer Patient Ambassadors must complete a short intake form, a HIPAA permissions form, and submit 3-5 photos. If you are interested, please contact Lindsay Gordon-Faranda at lindsay.gordon@duke.edu. 

To learn more about becoming a Duke Children’s Patient Ambassador, please fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you soon!

If you have additional questions about the Patient Ambassador Program, please contact Lindsay Gordon-Faranda at lindsay.gordon@duke.edu.