University of Minnesota Receives $50 Million Gift for New Children's Hospital

Feb. 11, 2009, Pioneer Press — Dr. Kurt Amplatz invented a cardiac device that closes abnormal holes in children's hearts. Now, his daughter has donated $50 million to close a gap in the budget for the new University of Minnesota Children's Hospital.

The pledge, announced Tuesday, is the second largest in the U's history and comes on the heels of a $40 million pledge by Best Buy founder Richard Schulze for a U diabetes center. Amplatz's daughter, Caroline, made the donation in honor of her father, after whom the hospital will be named.