Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago has received an $11 million gift to launch a division focused on genetics and rare diseases.
The gift from Don and Anne Edwards will create the Edwards Family Division of Genetics and Rare Diseases, according to a Dec. 10 hospital news release shared with Becker’s.
The investment aims to accelerate advances in diagnosis, treatment and research for children with rare and genetic conditions. It supports efforts to establish the largest pediatric genetics training program in Illinois and bring diagnostic testing in-house, reducing wait times from more than three months to fewer than two weeks.
Lurie Children’s also plans to triple its gene therapy and clinical research trials, with a goal of reaching nearly 75 active trials by 2030.
More than 25 million Americans are affected by rare diseases, yet more than 40% remain undiagnosed and 95% lack any current treatment. In Illinois, there is only one geneticist per 1 million residents, highlighting access challenges the new division aims to address.
Don and Anne Edwards are members of Lurie Children’s Medical Center and Founders’ Board.
