Foundation in honor of Michael Keaton's nephew gives $50,000 to UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Health Center

At the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 27, actor Michael Keaton gave an emotional speech after being named best male actor in a television movie or limited series.

The award recognized the Pittsburgh native’s work in Hulu’s “Dopesick” about the causes and effects of America’s opioid crisis.

“Given the subject matter, this is for my nephew, Michael, and my sister, Pam,” Keaton said. “I lost Michael … and it hurts. To my sister Pam, thanks.”

Keaton’s sister, Pam Douglas of Pittsburgh, founded the charity Kick It for Mike: The Michael Douglas Scichilone Foundation, following the 2016 death of her son from fentanyl and heroin use.

The foundation recently made a $50,000 donation to the UPMC Matilda H. Theiss Health Center, located in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

In addition to medical services for people of all ages, therapeutic programs at Matilda Theiss serve young children with psychiatric disorders or those at high risk of developing psychiatric or developmental difficulties, along with issues related to prenatal drug and alcohol exposure or a parent’s mental illness diagnosis.

Douglas has been a supporter for many years, according to Dr. Kimberly Blair, program director of the Matilda H. Theiss Child Development Center, part of UPMC Western Behavioral Health.

“When her son passed away, she had requested that donations be made to our center,” Blair said. “Since they established the Kick It for Mike foundation, they have been generous enough to have us be the beneficiary of some of the funds they have raised.”

AP

Michael Keaton accepts the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or limited series for “Dopesick” at the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 27 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Many of the child development center’s young clients come from “really high-stress communities,” Blair said.

“We tend to serve kids from low-income families, kids in foster care, kids who’ve experienced trauma, kids who come from families impacted by drug use and violence and lots of different traumatic experiences — things that little kids, or any kids — shouldn’t have to experience,” she said.

“The Matilda Theiss child programs have been around for 50 years. For the last 30 or so, they’ve focused on mental health specifically for younger kids,” she added. “We’ve recently expanded to include services for older kids through adolescence, as well.”

The center already has a plan for the recent donation.

“The funds from programs like Kick It for Mike really help us to do those extra things that you don’t necessarily get reimbursed for through insurance,” Blair said. “This money is going toward helping us expand our physical space. We’re going to use some of the funds to help develop a gross-motor area – or a gymnasium, basically – for the little kids.”

It’s important for children receiving therapy to have physical and creative outlets during the process, Blair said: “Therapy is different when you’re working with kids. You can’t just sit in a room and talk.

“From what the family has shared, Pam’s son Michael was very athletic,” she added. “When we met with the family, we decided that this would be a good way to honor him in a very tangible way.”

Pittsburgh artist and entrepreneur Baron Batch, a former Steelers running back, is on board to provide some artwork for the space.

“Pam and her daughters (Emily Scichilone and Meghan Scichilone) — Michael’s sisters — are very supportive and truly understand our program and what we’re trying to achieve,” Blair said. “We are so honored and grateful to be thought of as worthy of this gift.”