CHC History: Chapter One – Children’s Haven

The story of Children’s Habilitation Center begins with one doctor’s conviction that vulnerable young patients deserved more than the medical system was offering them. Dr. Lowell Zollar — a highly regarded pediatrician who had chaired the Pediatrics department at both Mercy Hospital and Jackson Park Hospital, and taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago — believed that children with serious medical needs could thrive in an environment defined by clinical excellence and genuine warmth.

That belief became a blueprint. Dr. Zollar began developing plans for a dedicated facility in Harvey, Illinois, working closely with his sister Pearl Rawls, a nurse who also served as the project’s architect. David Markle joined the effort as the construction contractor and soon became a co-founder alongside William Love, Eben Lightfoot, and Donald Blives — a team united by a shared sense of purpose.

In February 1972, Children’s Haven opened as a licensed nursing home with capacity for 140 residents. In its early years, the facility primarily served patients without complex medical needs, but its scope expanded steadily. The admission of children requiring gastrostomy tubes for nutrition marked an early turning point, followed by the development of care services for respiratory conditions requiring tracheotomies.

With each new capability, Children’s Haven grew more adept at caring for the most fragile pediatric cases — and its reputation followed. What began as a local nursing home gradually became recognized across Illinois as a premier destination for complex pediatric care.