Massachusetts General Hospital receives record $50 million gift to fund capital projects
Donation was made by long-time donors James and Carol Herscot to support capital projects and support their Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.
Courtesy www.massgeneral.org
Massachusetts General Hospital has just secured one of the largest donation in its 200-year-plus history, as philanthropists James S. and Carol J. Herscot have committed $50 million to the institution to support various projects as well as the Center for Children and Adults with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, which is named after them.
The center's mission is personal for the couple, whose son Brad was diagnosed with TSC nearly 50 years ago.
THE IMPACT
MGH will honor the gift by naming the outpatient building that houses the Herscot Center for the couple, dubbing it the Carol and James Herscot Building.
The establishment of the Center is a significant step forward in the quest to help individuals and families impacted by TSC, a rare genetic disorder that alters fundamental cellular signals and can affect every organ in the body. The disease impacts 40,000 to 80,000 people in the United States and up to two million people worldwide.
The brain is one of the organs most frequently affected by the disorder, and can trigger various symptoms such as seizures, autism, cognitive impairment, and mental health disorders. It is often misdiagnosed because of the wide variance in symptoms, the hospitals said in a statement.
THE TREND
The Herscot family has a longstanding history of donations to advance patient care. A $10 million gift in 2005 to MGH established the Herscot Center for Children and Adults with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. A subsequent gift of $17.5 million was donated in 2017.
ON THE RECORD
"Jim and Carol have been among the hospital's strongest supporters and champions for more than 50 years," said Dr. Peter L. Slavin, MGH president. "Through founding the Herscot Center and providing vital support for other hospital-wide efforts, their vision, friendship and generosity has been enormously helpful to advancing the MGH mission."
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
Email the writer: beth.sanborn@himssmedia.com
