In March 1999, Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP and Leslie Gordon, MD, PhD—together with family, friends and colleagues—formed The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) after their son, Sam, was diagnosed with Progeria at the age of 21 months. PRF’s mission is to discover the cause, treatment and cure for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (Progeria), a rare, fatal genetic condition characterized by the appearance of accelerated aging in children.

Within one year of beginning research, a group of leading scientists from the PRF Genetics Consortium, including scientists from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), identified the gene that causes Progeria. This discovery was not only a major breakthrough for children suffering from Progeria, but potentially held answers to the mysteries of heart disease and stroke.

The Spectrum team pulled together a joint press conference with NIH, to announce the major scientific breakthrough. Reporters from top new outlets including the Associated Press, CNN, USA Today, and Reuters attended the press conference and covered the story of the gene finding, featuring PRF prominently in almost every story. Spectrum also worked with People magazine on an exclusive story and a joint feature on NBC’s “Today Show.” Subsequent comprehensive stories have appeared in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Time magazine, and ABC’s “Primetime.”

With each new child diagnosed with Progeria and each dollar raised for the Foundation, PRF is able to better understand the disease and fund the research toward finding a treatment and a cure.

Watch PRF Public Service Announcement (:30)