Couple Donates $11 Million to Lurie Children's Hospital for Genetics Research

A couple with deep ties to the Chicago area, Don and Anne Edwards, is donating $11 million to Lurie Children's Hospital to support research into genetics and rare diseases. This gift will establish the Edwards Family Division of Genetics and Rare Diseases at the hospital.

Don Edwards, the founder and executive chairman of Flexpoint Ford and a member of Lurie’s board of trustees, emphasized the impact of genetic diagnosis and therapies on children's lives and their families.

The funding will primarily focus on expanding training for pediatric geneticists, addressing the shortage of geneticists in Illinois where there is only about one geneticist per million residents. The donation will also facilitate more genetic testing at Lurie, allowing for faster results, and will nearly triple the number of gene therapy and clinical research trials conducted at the hospital over the next three to five years.

Dr. Carlos Prada, head of the newly renamed division at Lurie, described the gift as transformational, aiming to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment for children with rare genetic conditions. Currently, rare diseases affect approximately 25 to 30 million Americans, with about 1.5 million individuals impacted in Illinois.

Parent Carrie Pinkham, who faced a long diagnostic journey for her son, expressed her gratitude for the donation, highlighting how it could change the trajectory for children with rare conditions like her son Jack's diagnosis of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Recessive Type 15.

Pinkham also founded the Jack Bear Foundation to raise awareness and fund research for this disorder, emphasizing the importance of advancing technology and expertise in the field.