The following is a report prepared for Rebecca’s Wish by Baylor College of Medicine | November 2022
Rebecca’s Wish and Baylor College of Medicine share a vision of a healthier world for pediatric patients to be free from pain. Together, we can help children overcome illness by training world-leading experts in pediatric healthcare and driving discovery in medicine. To accomplish this, Rebecca’s Wish generously gave $100,000 to Baylor in October 2021 to fully fund an advanced endoscopy fellowship for Javier Monagas, M.D., at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (CHofSA).
Your donation has enabled Dr. Monagas to expand his skills as a physician and focus on enhancing pediatric care for young patients diagnosed with pancreatitis and other chronic diseases. After completing his fellowship, he joined Baylor as an assistant professor, and he continues to practice at CHofSA. This allows him to access a broad and diverse patient population, so that he can deliver the highest care to patients in need and train more physicians who want to pursue specialties in pediatric gastroenterology.
Throughout his training and medical career, Dr. Monagas has learned not to give up when it comes to helping children with complex medical problems such as pancreatitis. They truly depend on his care, and medical providers must be their biggest supporters. This opportunity from Rebecca’s Wish has provided Dr. Monagas a foundational skillset that he will be able to apply to his daily work to fully become that supporter for children with this disease. These skills allow him to improve the health of pediatric patients and to develop new, innovative treatments and techniques.
“Joss and her sister, Ayla, truly appreciate Dr. Monagas and the gastroenterology team at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Dr. Monagas is incredibly warm and caring, making them feel comfortable. He listens to and addresses all of their needs, so that the girls feel heard and important. The entire team goes out of their way to provide top notch medical care to keep my girls happy and healthy!”- Oakley Cortez, mother of Joss and Ayla
Pictured from left to right: Sandeep Patel, M.D., Joss Cortez and Dr. Javier Monagas.
Dr. Monagas is excited to see the solidification and growth of current programs that will care for children with pancreatic diseases and the creation of new programs like the endoscopic bariatric obesity program. These programs will directly impact patients with pancreatic diseases and improve the health of patients who are diagnosed with a variety of complications from swallowing problems to obesity.
Complex pediatric diseases like pancreatitis and obesity affect multiple organs in the patient, which also poses challenges for their mental health. Investing in these important programs enables Dr. Monagas and Baylor-trained professionals like him to deliver the highest quality comprehensive and compassionate care. Personalized medicine that addresses the health of the whole patient is part of what sets Baylor standards apart from the rest. Rebecca’s Wish has been an outstanding partner in expanding and driving these efforts forward.
Children deserve a life free from suffering, and Rebecca’s Wish is addressing this challenge by helping Baylor train more experts in pediatric gastroenterology and endoscopy. Thank you for your confidence in Dr. Monagas and for your commitment to Baylor and our pediatric patients. If you have any questions about this report, please contact Mary Hall, associate director of Development, at 806-777-6142 or mary.hall@bcm.edu.
“I would like to thank the president of Rebecca’s Wish, Christyn Taylor, the Board Members and especially the Founder, Rebecca Taylor, for supporting my training. Beyond that, I am thankful for your contribution to establishing the first training program in the country for Pediatric Advanced Endoscopy. With your support, we are on the right path to healing and treating numerous patients with pancreatic diseases.”
Javier Monagas, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine
Program Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Children’s Hospital of San Antonio
Report prepared for Rebecca’s Wish by Baylor College of Medicine | November 2022
