Huntsville, Ala. — The HudsonAlpha Foundation has received a $1,050,000 anonymous donation to establish the Hero Fund. This fund will help patients who need, but cannot afford access to genomic medicine. The announcement was made Feb. 29, 2016 on Rare Disease Day.
In November 2015, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology opened the Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine, LLC. The Clinic uses whole genome sequencing to diagnose patients living with rare, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed diseases. The Hero Fund will provide financial assistance to qualified Clinic patients.
“We consider the patients at the Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine heroes,” said Howard Jacob, PhD; executive vice president for genomic medicine at HudsonAlpha. “They fight every single day, battling devastating disease, ineffective or no treatments and no answers.”
The donation will establish an Endowment Fund from which funds can be drawn to help patients. A qualified patient who comes to the Clinic may be eligible for assistance through the Hero Fund.
“The donor’s intent is to help as many patients as possible, so we have been tasked with raising matching funds,” said Lynne Berry, executive director of the Foundation. “Your ‘gene-erosity’ makes it possible to help those in need.”
To learn more or to support the Hero Fund, visithudsonalpha.org/hero.
The Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine, LLC is powered by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Children’s of Alabama and UAB-Medicine.
