Mercer Health Childbirth Center project gets $1 million gift from 11 siblings in Coldwater

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Renovations planned for the Mercer Health Childbirth Center received a big lift recently when the 11 children Walter and Evelyn Braun raised in the Mercer County village of Coldwater donated $1 million to the MED Foundation of Mercer Health for the express purpose of improving the facility.

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The Braun sibs -- Bill, Mary, Ann, Dan, John, Tony, Peg, Roger, Ken, Susan and Mike -- came forward with the donation on behalf of their parents, Mercer Health said in a prepared statement released Wednesday night.

“Mother spent more time as a patient at Mercer Health than at home with having that many kids,” Bill Braun said.

The center will be renamed the Walter and Evelyn Braun Childbirth Center because of the donation, which will be put toward a multi-million dollar renovation project set to begin with the next 12 to 18 months, Mercer Health officials said.

Here’s what the donation will be used for, initially: A new C-section surgical suite, renovated labor and delivery rooms with added rooms.

“Mercer Health is extremely humbled and grateful for the generosity of the Braun family,” Mercer Health CEO Lisa Klenke said in a prepared statement. “This gift will positively benefit the community for many years to come. We pledge to be good stewards of this gift and honor the legacy of Walter and Evelyn Braun.

“When you enter our doors you will see a quote from Coretta Scott King that reads, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

The Braun family exemplifies this sentiment and their generosity is a reflection of the wonderful family and community that raised them, Klenke said.

Mercer Health is working on the complete scope of the project which includes costs and the timeline, said Mindy Kremer, vice president of development, marketing and communication.

In 2015, Mercer Health received another $1 million donation that was the seed money for a $26 million expansion to Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital; The Sanderell Family West Wing opened in October 2018.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Braun family,” Kremer said. “Their generosity ensures quality healthcare, right here in our community, will be available for years to come.”