Jamie Lee Curtis inspired to help children in need after encounter with young sick child

2 April 2021

Jamie Lee Curtis was inspired to help children in need when she met a 12-year-old girl who needed a heart transplant.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The 62-year-old actress met Lori Tull in 1983 when she attended a fundraiser that was being thrown for the youngster in Pontiac, Illinois, where Jamie was filming a movie.

Lori had one of the first successful heart transplants at the age of 12 but sadly passed away when she was 20, and at the time of her death, Jamie asked Sony to donate VCRs to Children's Hospital Pittsburgh so the patients could watch movies and she donated a movie library in Lori’s name.

And Jamie has now admitted Lori’s story inspired her to do more to help sick children by teaming up with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for whom she has been an advocate for over 25 years.

She said: “[Lori] and I became friends, and she visited me when I was making another movie, in Pittsburgh.

“[After her death] I called Children's Hospital Los Angeles and said, 'Hi, it's Jamie Lee Curtis. I was born and raised here. Might I help?' "

Jamie has been the spokesperson for the hospital’s Make March Matter campaign – which kicked off on March 1 but is continuing through April – this month, where people are encouraged to shop, dine or participate in an event with a participating partner, with funds going directly to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Speaking about the charitable deed, she added: "The groovy thing about Make March Matter is that it's going out to the community. People might not know how they can make a difference and so by creating a thing where they say, well, if you go to Panda Express, part of the proceeds of that sale goes toward Children's Hospital.”

And the ‘Knives Out’ actress believes there’s “no greater good” than lending a helping hand to sick children.

She told People magazine: "There's no feeling more helpless than a sick child, and at Children's Hospital Los Angeles the doctors, nurses and staff lean into these little people and help them, regardless of whether they can pay, and to me there's no greater good."