CURED: Fighting for a Cure
When Jori Kodroff learned she had eosinophilic disease at age 10, her family knew that life would never be the same for Jori – or for them. "Instead of putting my energy into being angry and upset, I rearranged my thinking and decided we were going to fight for a cure," explains Jori's mother, Ellyn.
From that fierce determination, the CURED Foundation was born in 2003. CURED (Campaign Urging Research for Eosinophilic Disease) has raised nearly $300,000 to date for research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Now operating in seven states, CURED also helps to educate and connect patients and families from around the world.
Doctors found that Jori's stomach was inflamed and filled with polyps due to an eosinophilic disorder. In this disorder, a patient's body has an exaggerated response to common substances, such as foods that trigger allergies. During this response, eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) respond by moving into the area and releasing toxins in abnormal amounts. The reaction can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, rapid weight loss, long-term damage to the digestive system and other complications.
Jori travels often to Cincinnati Children's from her suburban Chicago home. "When Jori was diagnosed three years ago, I discovered that Cincinnati Children's clearly was the leader in treating patients with eosinophilic disease and researching causes and cures. That's why we took her there, and why we continue her care there," Ellyn says.
Funding innovative research, led by Marc Rothenberg, MD, PhD, is CURED's mission. Ellyn explains, "I can't imagine a more dedicated researcher than Dr. Rothenberg. He's putting his heart and soul into finding a cure for this devastating disease."
