Helping the Lives of Children Today

“Gifting the most appreciated shares in your portfolio is one of the best ways to amplify your philanthropic impact.”
Chris Tresse
Father, Donor | Rady Children’s Foundation Board Member

Sometimes the best investment is extremely low risk yet yields immeasurable returns. For Chris and Missy Tresse who have invested time, talent and financial gifts in Rady Children's, the benefits they receive from their investment have been repaid tenfold.

Missy and Chris’ family history with the hospital stretches back many years to a life-changing experience when their first son, Griffin, was diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth.

“A pediatrician told us he would grow out of it,” says Chris, who currently serves as chair of the Rady Children's Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. “But when Griffin turned 4, my company moved our family to San Diego and it turned out to be a move that saved his life.” A technician at Rady Children's discovered that Griffin did not have a heart murmur; he had congenital heart disease, a severe condition that can restrict activity and reduce life expectancy.

That’s when the Tresses met John Lamberti, MD, a rock star among pediatric cardiologists, who performed open heart surgery on Griffin. Today, Griffin is an active young man, who plays varsity water polo. “The small scar on his chest reminds us how lucky we were to live close to Rady Children's,” Chris says.

Their second child, Caitlin, was treated by the Rady Children's neurology team when she began to suffer from seizures. Today, with guidance and care from the neurology team, Caitlin is leading a healthy life. Missy’s third pregnancy, with twins, was difficult. Two months before the due date, she suffered an abruption of the placenta while in Santa Barbara. The family was rushed to a local hospital where their tiny newborns arrived, weighing in at a total of six pounds. “Our precious babies were airlifted to Rady Children's, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit enveloped us in expert care and compassion. An incredible nurse taught us how to gently hold, bathe and test-tube-feed our fragile infants,” Chris says. After five long weeks, the twins were strong enough to go home, and today, they are thriving.

Several years later, the Tresses youngest, Quinn, arrived a month early. “The experts in the NICU welcomed us back with open arms,” Chris says. “Is it any wonder that our family has such a deep bond with Rady Children's? We are not alone. There are countless families whose lives have been impacted just as deeply, and whose futures are brighter because of Rady Children's. As a board member, I can tell you with certainty, it all starts with donor investment.”

The Tresses recently gifted shares of Facebook stock to further the ground-breaking research and world-class care that has benefitted their family over the years. Chris, who works as a financial advisor added, “Gifts of appreciated stock eliminate the capital gains tax due, but the donor still receives the full charitable income tax write off.”

“Rady Children's attracts the finest medical professionals because donors are committed to investing in an environment that empowers them to do their best work,” Chris says. “We surround them with first-rate resources, and they, in turn, surround our families with exceptional proactive pediatric care, delivered with love. Investing in Rady Children's is an investment in the future, and is quite literally changing the face of pediatric healthcare.”

Contact Elise Webster at 858-966-7537 or ewebster@rchsd.org to learn more.