PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has donated $50 million to Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to create a new institute for research into autism.
The $50 million gift established the Lurie Autism Institute, an effort to combine research on the neurological condition from Penn and CHOP. Lurie, whose brother is autistic, announced the gift Tuesday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He said the institute was created to seek answers for the condition that affects one out of every 31 children in the U.S.
“Autism is one of the most complex scientific and public health challenges of our time. Yet research and solutions haven’t kept pace with the need. The Lurie Autism Institute was created to change that,” he said.
“Let’s be bold, let’s lead and let’s build a future where autism science moves faster, reaches further and benefits everyone.”
Fishtown resident Daniel McCarty’s 6-year-old son Snai is also autistic. McCarty said the Penn and CHOP partnership has promised to accelerate the progress his son has made.
“They’re coming together to partner and collaborate for autism research and it’s like this synergistic effect that’s not only going to impact Snai McCarty, but all the other Snais that are part of CHOP,” he said.
Snai’s mother Mony McCarty said thanks to therapies at CHOP, he continues to surprise.
“Most recently, we got a message from his teacher … saying that he got off the bus,” she recalled. “He went from two years ago nonverbal to now, ‘I miss you, Miss Marcucci!’”
The Lurie gift is being called the largest single donation for autism research to U.S. medical centers.