Women For One Interviews Michelle Pfeiffer of Anna’s Angels Foundation, Regarding Down Syndrome Research
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) September 12, 2013 -- In a recent interview, Kelly McNelis of Women for One, spoke with Michelle Pfeiffer about Anna’s Angels Foundation, and her inspiration to commit to Down syndrome research. Pfeiffer founded Anna’s Angels after leaving her successful career in the business world. Pfeiffer found her passion after her daughter Anna, who has Down Syndrome, was diagnosed with Leukemia. As a mother and an advocate for children with Down syndrome, Pfeiffer says learning and understanding is the most important part of overcoming any hurdle.
Pfeiffer was able to apply her business savvy to her work with Anna’s Angels, helping to make the foundation successful. So far, the foundation has created a bio bank and has helped develop the infrastructure to study Down syndrome and its associated health risks. As the foundation has grown, the focus has shifted towards improving life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, by teaching independence and improving cognition. Doing so will not only help children with Down syndrome, but support special needs children as a whole.
Anna’s Angels Foundation was founded in partnership with Duke Children’s Hospital on behalf of Pfeiffer’s daughter Anna, who had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). AML is prevalent in children with Down syndrome along with heart ailments, Alzheimers, and hearing/vision loss. Through research, Duke Children’s hospital and Anna’s Angels Foundation believe they can unlock answers to these diseases for both people with Down syndrome, and the general population. Anna’s Angels Foundation is one of the largest private donors to Down syndrome research in the United States.
In the future, Anna’s Angels aims to become not only a nation-wide foundation, but also a global force in changing the lives of those with Down syndrome. There’s so much people can do to be involved – from graphic arts to volunteering in communities – and the Anna’s Angels Foundation seeks to inspire families and individuals to support Down syndrome research.
Kelly McNelis, Women for One, http://womenforone.com, +1 (206) 419-6534, [email protected]
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