September 23, 2026 | By Atrium Health Foundation | In Contributor News
Atrium Health Levine Children’s has been awarded a $100,000 Impact Grant from Hyundai Hope on Wheels® to enhance whole-person care for children and adolescents facing cancer. The investment will support spiritual care services that help patients, families, and care teams navigate the challenges that often accompany a cancer diagnosis.
Childhood cancer affects more than a patient’s physical health. Children and families may have difficult questions about identity, beliefs, relationships, and the future. Spiritual care offers a space to explore those questions, process difficult emotions, and identify sources of meaning and strength. At Atrium Health Levine Children’s, spiritual care is an integral part of the multidisciplinary approach to pediatric cancer care.
“Our work is rooted in the belief that whole-person care can transform lives, and spiritual care is an essential part of that commitment,” said Dr. Jennifer Pope, director of supportive medicine for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Atrium Health Levine Children’s. “With the support of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, we can help close a critical gap by embedding dedicated spiritual care across the cancer journey. This investment will help us better support patients, families, and care teams as they make meaning of the realities of a cancer diagnosis, process distress, and build practical strategies that foster resilience, healing, and hope.”
Helping deliver that care is Amanda White, a pediatric chaplain at Atrium Health Levine Children’s whose position is supported by the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Grant. As a member of the pediatric cancer care team, White provides individualized support that reflects each family’s unique needs, values, and culture. She also serves the healthcare professionals who care for children with cancer to help them process grief and reconnect with their sense of purpose.
Layla and Liana, both undergoing treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia at Atrium Health Levine Children’s, joined Dr. Jennifer Pope (center) and chaplain Amanda White (right) at the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony on September 22, 2026.
“We are deeply grateful to Hyundai Hope on Wheels for advancing pediatric cancer care at Levine Children’s,” said Helen Kernodle, senior development officer at Atrium Health Foundation. “This partnership continues to help fuel discoveries that bring us closer to better treatments, improved outcomes, and more hope for children facing cancer. Just as importantly, Hyundai is reminding families that an entire community stands beside them on their journey.”
Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Since its founding in 1998, the organization has provided grants to institutions across the country supporting pediatric cancer research and care. Levine Children’s has received $1.3 million in support from Hyundai Hope on Wheels.
About Atrium Health Foundation
Founded in 1959, Atrium Health Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in Charlotte. As the point of contact for all contributions benefiting Atrium Health in the Charlotte market, the Foundation inspires transformational giving to improve health, elevate hope, and advance healing – for all. Through its current Giving Hope Campaign, Atrium Health Foundation is supporting Atrium Health’s efforts to create the learning health system of the future by building healthy communities, outstanding education programs, preeminent research and exemplary facilities.
About Hyundai Hope on Wheels
Hyundai Hope on Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing critical research aimed at improving treatments and saving lives. Hyundai Hope on Wheels is one of the largest nonprofit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country. Primary funding for Hyundai Hope on Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 855 U.S. dealers. In 2026, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will reach a lifetime donation total of $303 million in support of more than 1,500 childhood cancer research grants to over 175 hospitals and research institutions.