Chicago Firefighter And Public School Teacher Launch 501(c)3 With $100,000 To Fund Cures For Rare Diseases

Chicago firefighter and entrepreneur, Jim Kelly, along with his wife, Maria, a public high school teacher, have started a 501(c)3 foundation called The Orphan Disease Collective to raise funds and awareness for the research of orphan diseases. The couple has launched the foundation with a personal $100,000 donation in honor of their daughter, who was born with an orphan disease.

An orphan disease is defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people nationwide. This includes diseases as familiar as Cystic Fibrosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, and Galactosemia. Some diseases have patient populations of fewer than a hundred. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are approximately 7,000 rare diseases affecting between 25 and 30 million Americans. This equates to 1 in 10 Americans, or one on every elevator and four on every bus. In addition, 95 percent of rare diseases have no available FDA-approved treatment options.

"In 2017, the government cut rare diseases spending grants by half," said Jim Kelly. "It is imperative that the best researchers in the world have funds to continue working on treatments and cures. As their advocate, The Orphan Disease Collective will never stop funding these researchers and encourage those who can help to step in and do so."

For more information about The Orphan Disease Collective or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit https://orphandiseasecollective.org.