Thrive by IU Health

January 30, 2025

$1 million gift to support NICU care at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital

IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital

$1 million gift to support NICU care at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital

June Scheumann recently made a $1 million gift to IU Health Foundation to support neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. As a result, the unit will be renamed June and John Scheumann Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The gift was matched by IU Health, bringing its total impact to more than $2 million.

The Scheumann family’s commitment represents a transformational gift for the NICU.

“We are so honored and incredibly grateful that June Scheumann and her family have chosen to partner with us,” said Dr. Prashant Malviya, medical director of the NICU at IU Health Ball. “This gift will positively affect generations of Hoosiers in Muncie and eastern Indiana, as well as the clinicians who care for them.”

For the Scheumann family, the gift was personal: Two babies from the family spent time in the NICU at IU Health Ball.

“On April 28, 2010, my grandson arrived six weeks early,” Kimmy Amantrout, daughter of June Scheumann said. “Then my second grandbaby, Declan, was born at 25-and-a-half weeks, at just one pound, 14 ounces. He was here for two and-a-half months.”

The Scheumanns were so grateful for the care their family received, they want to make sure it’s available to others in Indiana’s east region.

“The nurses who cared for our family were just fabulous,” said June Scheumann. “We want anyone who delivers at Ball, full term or not, to have the same chances of survival. This hospital serves people from nine counties. It means a lot to make sure this care is available close to home.”

Scheumann Family with NICU nurses
Scheumann Family with NICU nurses

The Scheumann family’s name is well known in Muncie. Scheumann Stadium, home of Ball State’s football team, where June’s late husband John was a player, now features their name as well. They view this latest gift to IU Health as an extension of John’s legacy.

“He would love seeing his name here,” June said. “We just want to make sure that we keep his legacy going. Muncie is where his success started, and he really felt the calling to give back.”

The Scheumanns hope their gift inspires other Muncie residents to support IU Health Foundation’s All The Difference: The Campaign for Indiana’s Health $200 million statewide fundraising campaign.

To join the Scheumann family and explore options for making a gift in support of a healthcare cause close to your own heart, visit the IU Health Foundation website.

Related Services