Arizona credit union keeps hospitalized kids learning, dreaming

When Justin Ramirez was diagnosed with leukemia at age 13, his world narrowed to hospital rooms, IV medications, and long stretches of treatment at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. But one thing helped him feel like himself again: school.

“It made me feel free because you could go outside your room instead of feeling isolated,” Ramirez said. “They would sit next to you at your bed, and that made me feel like a regular, normal human being.”

Ramirez is one of more than 2,000 children who benefit annually from the 1 Darn Cool School, a fully accredited K–12 program at Phoenix Children’s funded entirely by Desert Financial Credit Union. In January, Desert Financial Foundation and the credit union donated $1.425 million to the program, the second-largest contribution in the partnership’s history.

A partnership built on purpose

The relationship between Desert Financial and the 1 Darn Cool School stretches back to 1998, when a group of Arizona credit unions came together to support what was then a volunteer program helping hospitalized children with homework.

Today, eight master’s-level teachers provide bedside and classroom instruction year-round, helping patients stay at grade level so they can reintegrate into their home schools when treatment allows. Teachers are assigned by hospital floor, meaning children with extended stays often work with the same educator throughout their entire treatment, sometimes spanning years.

For Ron Amstutz, executive vice president at Desert Financial, the cause is deeply personal. The first weekend after he moved to Arizona, his son fell ill and had to be treated at Phoenix Children’s.

“It clearly ignited a passion in me to give back and do something to help kids and families going forward,” Amstutz said. “As a credit union founded by teachers, education is part of who we are. This commitment ensures children receiving care at Phoenix Children’s can continue learning, stay connected to their peers, and focus on their future, even during the hardest moments of their young lives.”

More than academics

The program does far more than deliver curriculum. Teachers help children maintain connections to their regular classmates, coordinate with home schools on lesson plans, and ensure patients receive legally required accommodations when they return.

Susan O’Donnell, senior director of corporate account management at Phoenix Children’s, recalled a young amputee who was afraid to return to school. The 1 Darn Cool School team worked with his home school to organize an assembly featuring a motivational speaker who was also an amputee.

“By the end of the assembly, this little boy has got his leg over his head,” O’Donnell said. “He thinks it’s the coolest thing that he has a leg that comes off and on.”

Preserving milestones

Teachers also go to creative lengths to help patients participate in life’s milestones. O’Donnell described a high school senior in the hospital’s cancer center who was in isolation and couldn’t leave his floor, meaning he would miss his graduation ceremony.

The school has two robots with iPad screens for faces that patients can control remotely. Teachers dressed one in a cap and gown, rolled it across the stage at his home school’s commencement, and let him “attend” from his hospital room.

“Would he have loved to have been a part of his graduation in person? One hundred percent,” O’Donnell said. “But this is like the next best thing.”

A bridge between hospital and home

For Ramirez, diagnosed in November 2024, the teachers made it possible to earn enough credits to promote from eighth grade and start high school in person this January. He worked closely with teacher Lydia Smith, who coordinated with his home school and adapted lessons during admissions, infusions, and recovery periods.

“1 Darn Cool School brings a sense of normalcy into a not-so-normal time for patients,” Smith said. “We are able to be the bridge between school and hospital and ensure that patients are still engaged with their education. That sense of consistency can be a beacon of hope.”

Some students cross that bridge for years. O’Donnell recalled one young patient who began using the school at age 8 and continued through high school graduation. Desert Financial awarded her a $5,000 scholarship for college. Now a senior about to graduate, she volunteers at the hospital and plans to return as a nurse.

A model for the nation

Phoenix Children’s was among the first hospitals in the country—if not the first—to establish an in-hospital school program. Today, with more than 170 children’s hospitals nationwide, the 1 Darn Cool School has become a model that other institutions study when building their own programs.

Jeffrey Meshey, president and CEO of Desert Financial, emphasizes that the credit union’s approach differs from typical corporate philanthropy.

“For many donors, it’s a transaction,” Meshey said. “For us, it’s really a true partnership. It’s more of a relationship. We’ve been in this, and we’ll be in this for the long haul.”

Woven into the culture

That commitment is woven into Desert Financial’s culture. New employees learn about Phoenix Children’s during orientation. Senior leadership candidates tour the hospital campus before they’re hired. And when leaders forgo holiday gift exchanges, they pool those funds to support patients.

The $1.425 million donation is part of a five-year, $5 million commitment announced in 2024. With this year’s gift, Desert Financial has reached 70% of that goal in just two years.

The funds come from multiple sources: an annual golf tournament that raised $680,000 last year, employee payroll deduction campaigns, member fundraisers in branches and through online banking, and even a portion of fees from non-members using Desert Financial ATMs.

“If it wasn’t for Desert Financial, (Phoenix Children’s) literally would not have a school program,” O’Donnell said. “That is thousands of kids a year who would fall behind on their education.”

For Ramirez, now back in a traditional classroom, the impact is simple but profound.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know more people and being social again,” he said. “They helped me get here.”