Wills Eye Hospital Receives $ 5 Million Donation from Farbers

A philanthropic couple from Philadelphia donated $ 5 million to the Wills Eye Hospital, in addition to an earlier donation of $ 2 million in 2015, to continue researching the vision, announced Thursday the hospital. hospital eye care center, support for data mining and analysis initiatives, tele-ophthalmology, expanded community-based research and the creation of a new clinical trial unit, among other objectives.

"It's like the 4th of July and Christmas and Thanksgiving and your birthday, everything happened in one," Julia Haller, chief ophthalmologist at Wills Eye, said of the gift.

>> READ MORE: How Julia Haller Changes the Optics of Success

The Hospital will Renovate the 15th Floor of its Center City Building at the Vickie Vision Research Center and Jack Farber in Wills Eye. The new center will work in collaboration with the Vickie Institute and Jack Farber for Neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University.

The most important impact of the gift will appear in the form of personnel.

"This is going to be an opportunity Haller said," Haller said the Farbers have been good partners for Wills Eye because they understand the impact of this vision. "To have people who are a great Philadelphia couple, who also understand the challenges of healthcare and who really want to associate in the most transformational way possible, they are extraordinary, "said Haller.

The Study many eye diseases and related neurological diseases is particularly important for Vickie Farber, whose father died of ALS and whose mother died of Alzheimer's disease

"Wills Eye is a great institution. with incredibly talented people who are motivated, forward-thinking, and committed to advancing scientific knowledge, "said Jack Farber in the press release." If you put these energies together with financial support to accelerate the pace of progress , you really make a difference in the lives of patients. "

Haller hopes the flagship gift will pave the way for others to donate.

Many people take Wills for granted," said Haller: "They think it will always be there, but it will not work if people do not support it and do not understand how important it is."