Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Local Hyundai Dealers Give $160,000 to Support Pediatric Cancer Care in Hawai‘i

They’ve been a driving force behind pediatric cancer research and programs for nearly 30 years. Hyundai Hope on Wheels and local Hyundai dealers presented a collective gift of $160,000 for pediatric cancer care at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, the only full-service children’s hospital in the state.

The significant investment includes a $100,000 Impact Grant from Hyundai Hope on Wheels (HHoW), which will help expand Kapiʻolani’s Child Life program. Child Life specialists support Kapiʻolani’s youngest patients and their families socially and emotionally. This ranges from utilizing therapeutic play to help teach kids about their conditions and prepare them for medical procedures and treatment, to easing anxiety during hospital stays with activities, arts and crafts, and games. Previous grants have gone toward the latest equipment for Kapiʻolani’s Cellular Therapy program, the only one of its kind in Hawaiʻi, which utilizes a patient’s own cells to fight cancer. 

“At Kapiʻolani, we care for the whole child. That means providing the best possible medical treatments for pediatric cancer while also supporting their emotional and social needs,” said Dr. Randal Wada, Kapiʻolani chief of pediatric hematology and oncology. “Our Child Life specialists offer comfort, understanding, and moments of joy to our young patients and their families when they are needed most. We are grateful for Hyundai Hope on Wheels’ support for this essential part of our team.”

This grant is in addition to the $60,000 HHoW and Hyundai Dealers of Hawaiʻi presented during the 20th annual Kapi‘olani Radiothon for Kids. The donation from local dealers and HHoW will go toward Kapiʻolani’s future Martha B. Smith Cancer & Infusion Center, which is now under construction. The center will more than quadruple the existing space for cancer care at Kapiʻolani and expand access to clinical trials as well as some of the latest treatments, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy or CAR T-cell therapy. 

“Advancing pediatric cancer research requires bold science and sustained commitment,” said John Guastaferro, Hyundai Hope on Wheels executive director. “We are deeply grateful to Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, its doctors and researchers whose dedication drives progress to the children and families who need it most.”

In celebration of these generous contributions to cancer care, Kapiʻolani pediatric patients, doctors, staff, and Hyundai representatives painted their hands and made their marks on canvases and doctors’ coats. The colorful handprints symbolize the collective fight against pediatric cancer and hope for a cure. 

Kapiʻolani received one of 98 grants that HHoW gave to medical institutions nationwide. Since 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has given more than $300 million for pediatric cancer research and programs, including more than $1.3 million to Kapiʻolani.