b'H e a l t h c a r eSpohn Sanitarium on North Beach, 1905Entrance to the new North Tower complex at Christus Spohn Shoreline1999 with other Catholic healthcare systems in Texas, forming Christus Health. As afamily estate to the establishment of a childrens hospital in Corpus Christi, consid-not-for-profit system, Christus Health is continually investing in the Coastal Bend. ered significant by many for a woman who never bore children of her own. In 1953, Clara Driscoll was one of the most consequential women of early 20th Century Texas.Driscoll Foundation Childrens Hospital opened its doors on South Alameda Street, Born in 1881 in St. Marys of Aransas on Copano Bay, now a ghost town near Bayside,providing free care for indigent childrenin 1970, the hospitals status was chang-Clara enjoyed a privileged childhood that included private schooling in New York andes to not-for-profit, allowing it to serve the community at large. In the half-century France. By the age of 25, Clara had been credited with playing a major role in savingsince, Driscoll Childrens Hospital has grown into one of the most important and pres-the Alamo, that included a substantial financial investment, had written two novels,tigious pediatric medical centers in the United States, serving not only kids in South and wrote and produced a successful Broadway play. After returning to Texas fromTexas, but also thousands of families over the years from Mexico. The hospital was New York, Driscoll and her then-husband, Hal Sevier, built the famed Laguna Gloriathe site of the citys very first organ transplant, and in recent years garnered national estate on Lake Austin where they lived until 1929 when Claras brother died, at whichattention for the successful separation of conjoined twins. Its hard to find a family in time they moved to the Palo Alto Ranch, near where the town of Driscoll is today. South Texas that has not experienced the loving attention and excellence of care for During her years back home in the Coastal Bend, Clara built the extravagant Hotelwhich Driscoll Childrens Hospital is so well known.Robert Driscoll downtown and served as president of Corpus Christi Bank and Trust.In addition to Christus Spohn Shoreline and Driscoll Hospital, major medical facilities Upon her untimely death in 1945, it was revealed that Clara willed much of her vastin Corpus Christi include Christus Spohn South on Saratoga Boulevard, and two 74 THE COASTAL BEND TOUR+RELO+BUILD GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'