Riley Children’s Foundation in Indianapolis has announced a $5 million gift in support of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy program at Riley Children’s Health.

The gift was made by three siblings whose family has been affected by the disease and their spouses: John Ackerman and his wife, Kathy; Barbara Nicholoff and her husband, Brian; and Leslie Ackerman. In addition to improving the delivery of care, the donation will spur the discovery of life-extending therapies for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Riley Children’s Health will build research programs focused on applying gene therapy and precision medicine approaches—the latter of which will address life-threatening complications of the disease on the heart.

John Ackerman is the managing director of Cardinal Equity Partners, a family-owned investment firm in Indianapolis, as well as a trustee of the Ackerman Foundation, which has contributed to the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and the Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation since 2017.

According to Riley Children’s Health, roughly 20,000 children around the world are diagnosed each year with “Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by the progressive loss of muscle resulting in deterioration of the skeletal, heart, and lung muscles. Due to the Duchenne gene being found on the X-chromosome, the disorder primarily affects males.”

 “A Duchenne diagnosis can leave families feeling overwhelmed and confused,” said Brian Nicholoff. “With this gift, we are creating a one-stop destination Duchenne Center at Riley. Families impacted by this disorder will get the care, guidance, and resources they need all in one place for every step of their journey.”

Photo credit: (Getty Images/Johnny Greig)