Wellington Financial becomes National Advocate of EB Research Partnership

We are delighted to announce that our firm has joined the U.S. corporate donor ranks of EB Research Partnership as a National Advocate, following the successful initiation of our relationship in 2016 (see prior post “Wellington Financial donates to EB Research Partnership” May 10-16).

When an individual is struck with Epidermolysis Bullosa, they lack a critical protein that binds the layers of skin together. Without this protein, the skin tears apart, blisters and sheers off, leading to severe pain, disfigurement, and wounds that never heal.  EB affects the body inside and out.  Blisters occur all over the body, as well as in the eyes, mouth, esophagus, and other internal organs.  EB causes severe pain, disfigurement, and in too many cases, an early death from an aggressive form of skin cancer.  EB is not specific to any ethnicity or gender, and affects thousands of people across the U.S. and Canada.

The life expectancy of someone with this plight is 30 years.  Imagine if your 10-year old had EB, and you had every reason to expect that you’d outlive them in the absence of a huge finding on the research front.

Over the past few years, our firm has raised and donated more than $600,000 to various local charities, community groups and worthy institutions.  Names such as the Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation (several rooms in the new Women & Babies Wing), the Canadian Art Foundation, Covenant House (street kids), Jean Tweed Centre (women’s addiction treatment facility), The Upside Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Western University and The University of Toronto (endowed scholarships in Technology Evaluation & Analysis), Bullfrog Power (100% green electricity)…. In most cases, our donations have stayed in Canada, despite the fact that ~80% of our portfolio companies are based in the USA.

In 2015, we made out first significant commitment to a U.S. charity / community group via Stewardship Partners, a not-for-profit agency that helps landowners in the Northwestern U.S. conserve and protect the natural landscapes.  We expanded our U.S. footprint with the NYC-based EB Research Partnership and the California contingent of Camp Kesem last year, and have been welcomed with open arms in both cases.

Please take a moment to learn about this horrible disease.  EB’s research budget is tiny compared to other medical challenges, and the novel approach that the EBRP Board of Directors has taken to funding research gives one hope that a cure will be found over the next decade.

MRM