“Exceptional care, without exception”

For Tyler Hanna (MED’23), cradling an infant in need has been the pinnacle of his work at Boston University so far. The baby was suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome—a group of conditions caused when babies withdraw from certain drugs they’ve been exposed to in the womb. A student leader in the Cuddling Assists in Lowering Maternal and Infant Stress (CALM) program at the School of Medicine, Hanna was following his passion: advocating for children suffering from serious illness.

“These children are so sick through no fault of their own,” says Hanna, who grew up in Southington Connecticut. “I wanted to help in any way I could.” The Charles C. and Anne Dineen Gazzaniga Scholarship Fund, he says, is giving him that chance. The fund was established through the estate plans of Frank Gazzaniga, MD (MED’59), as a way to give back to the school that afforded him so many opportunities.

Hanna was drawn to BU by the excellent academics of the Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, as well as Boston Medical Center’s mission: “exceptional care, without exception.” For him, BMC’s commitment to addressing the social determinants of health for underserved populations has been both humbling and comforting. “BMC lives its mission every day, going the extra mile to provide exceptional care to those who too often cannot find care somewhere else,” he says.

Hanna is keenly aware that he could not have followed his dream of becoming a pediatrician without the generosity of his benefactors. “This scholarship has empowered me to pursue an excellent, socially conscious medical education in an institution that serves some of those who need care the most,” he says. “They have inspired me to help those coming up the ladder after me just as I have been helped.”