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Jimmie Lou

Children were always central to Jimmie Lou Aquino’s life, from entertaining thousands of them in a unique job to raising three of her own. Even after her death in June 2023 at the age of 96, she has ensured that children will be taken care of for years to come.

Back in the 1950s, Jimmie Lou had found a special way to make children’s lives happier by finding a job at a new spot in California: Disneyland. She worked as the first costumed Minnie Mouse, greeting visitors in the park’s opening years. Later, Jimmie Lou and her husband, George, moved to Emmett, Idaho where Jimmie Lou resided until her death.

Upon her passing, Jimmie Lou left a $375,000 donation to St. Luke’s Children’s Cancer Institute—a donation that has already been used to equip a special sedation room for chemotherapy. The sedation room now bears the names of Jimmie Lou and George, who died in 1985 from cancer, with the inscription “with love for the children.” Performing the sedations in the clinic instead of the ICU is a less stressful and easier process for the patient, parents and care team. This was made possible by Jimmie Lou’s gift.

The Children’s Cancer Institute team keeps a set of Minnie Mouse ears in the fully equipped sedation room in honor of Jimmie Lou.




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