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Ten-year-old George Brewer was rarely sick.

But the headaches he had started to experience were so severe that he could not stop vomiting.

George’s concerned parents, Kevin and Cindy Brewer, rushed their son to Le Bonheur Children’s Emergency Department, where he underwent a series of tests and MRIs.

His diagnosis: a brain tumor that needed to be removed. The tumor was caught early, and surgery was successful. Le Bonheur had helped save their son during one of the scariest times of their lives.

And it left the Brewers with a question: what could they do to give back to the hospital that had given so much to their family?

The answer came unexpectedly.

Cindy and Kevin Brewer along with Kent Underwood, co-owners of LEO Events, a Memphis-based events management agency, were approached by one of their employees with an idea: She had been researching the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a nonprofit started by American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest was building state-of-the-art broadcast studios in children’s hospitals across the country — allowing patients to get away from the burdens of being hospitalized for a while to be entertained.

What if they tried to get one for Le Bonheur?

“We just absolutely loved it,” said Kevin Brewer. “It was a perfect marriage of what we do with entertainment and engagement — and we loved the idea of bringing that into the hospital.”

The Brewers brought the idea to Le Bonheur and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation eventually chose Le Bonheur for its 12th studio.

“We had been there with our kids, with George as a patient and with his sibling, Benjamin,” Kevin said. “The thought of having that as a distraction and just being able to play bingo on TV for a while was so cool.”

Le Bonheur partnered with the Foundation to fund the studio, in addition to a generous gift from the Brewers.

“We invest because we obviously want to see it succeed,” Kevin said. “Le Bonheur has always meant so much to us, and its mission resonates not just with us but also with our staff.”

Seacrest Studios at Le Bonheur Children’s opened in May 2023 and provides a variety of programming to patients, whether they are physically in the studio or watching through a closed-circuit network in their rooms. Its staff of three provides live shows every day, allowing patients to host their own radio and television shows, play games, watch live musical performances and interview celebrity guests.

The studio is encased in glass, allowing staff, patients and visitors to view the daily programming happening inside.

The Brewers and LEO Events have continued to support the studio, giving again in 2024 to establish a Patient Engagement Fund that helps provide staff with the day-to-day tools they need to give kids an even better experience in the studio.

George, tumor-free, is now volunteering at the Le Bonheur Seacrest Studios.

“We love that they are having a chance to see servant leadership,” Kevin said. “They remember how scared they were when George was in the hospital, and Benjamin was worried about his brother. This opportunity brought it back to how they can make a difference.”