Chicago’s Lurie’s Children’s Hospital opens new department following $11M gift

Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago has a new department thanks to an $11 million investment, according to an announcement released Wednesday.

The multi-million dollar gift, from Don and Anne Edwards, establishes the Edwards Family Division of Genetics and Rare Diseases, the announcement said. According to the hospital, the gift will help accelerate breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and discovery for children with rare and genetic conditions.

“Families coping with rare diseases wait far too long for answers,” Tom Shanley, MD, Lurie Children’s President & CEO said in the announcement. “This extraordinary investment from the Edwards family changes that trajectory. It strengthens our ability to improve diagnostics, expand treatment options, and bring renewed hope to children throughout Chicago, Illinois, and beyond.”

There is currently only one geneticist per one million residents in Illinois, Lurie’s said with more than 25 million Americans are affected by rare diseases. Over 40 percent of those people remain undiagnosed and 95 percent lack treatment options, Lurie’s said. Those that do get tested in

According to the announcement, the new division will enable Lurie’s to establish the largest pediatrics training program in Illinois, bring diagnostic testing in-house to reduce wait times from three months to two weeks, and triple the number of gene therapy and clinical research trials.

“Every top children’s hospital must have a world-class genetics program,” Shanley said. “With the vision of the Edwards family and the support of future donors, we are building the leading hub for genetics care, training, and innovation.”

During a press conference announcing the gift Wednesday, Shanley said the gift will enable the hospital to “significantly transform lives.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined hospital officials at the press conference, saying donation to the hospital means “generations of children and families will be healthier” and live longer.