🏥 ELI MANNING’S HEARTFELT GIFT: $1 MILLION DONATION TO MISSISSIPPI NICU & PEDIATRIC CARE
Jackson, MS — In a deeply moving gesture toward improving children’s health, Eli and Abby Manning have pledged $1 million to the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s (UMMC) capital campaign aimed at enhancing neonatal and pediatric care—not $14 million as was previously reported.
The Mannings’ generous contribution is part of UMMC’s ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign, which is funding major upgrades, including a new neonatal intensive care unit, additional pediatric ICU rooms, expanded surgical suites, a child-focused imaging department, and an outpatient clinic designed for family convenience .
This commitment isn’t the first they’ve made. In 2009, the couple helped raise more than $2.5 million to establish the Eli Manning Children’s Clinics at Batson Children’s Hospital—an initiative that expanded specialized outpatient pediatric care for families across Mississippi .
Eli, an Ole Miss alumnus and two-time Super Bowl champion, explained their motivation:
> “We’re the parents of three daughters. We want the very best care for all of Mississippi’s children—close to home,” he said in a statement .
As honorary chairs of the campaign, the Mannings are also helping to rally other donors, bringing attention, leadership, and visibility to UMMC’s mission .
UMMC officials say that with this donation—alongside significant gifts like the Sanderson family’s initial $10 million—the campaign has already exceeded $72 million raised, positioning the $100 million goal well within reach and setting the stage for a 2020 opening of a seven-story pediatric tower .
Why it matters:
Specialized care expansion: More NICU beds, ICU rooms, surgical suites, and child-specific imaging capacity.
Access for all: A focused outpatient clinic enhances convenience for families statewide.
Long-term impact: The expanded infrastructure supports a comprehensive pediatric and neonatal care pipeline in Mississippi.
💡 This is about more than money—it’s about community, compassion, and giving every child the chance to thrive. And for Eli and Abby Manning, their $1 million gift is a deeply personal legacy for the families of Mississippi
