Aww! This is so pure!
Just days after hearing about Taylor Swift‘s $50,000 donation to a mother in need, we’re now learning Pete Davidson‘s been in the giving spirit, too. And we’re not just talking about those Olivia Dean tickets he got for Elsie Hewitt!
Related: Elsie Gives Happy Update Thanking Baby Daddy Pete!
Pete, whose reported net worth is estimated to be around $4 million, generously gave $20,000 to Cri Du Chat Research Foundation after meeting Liam, a fan and fellow comedian with the rare genetic condition, in Brooklyn last week and being touched by his story.
The organization announced the news via Facebook, writing:
“A heartfelt thank you to actor, writer, comedian, and native New Yorker, Pete Davidson, for taking the time to learn about 5p- syndrome (Cri du Chat syndrome), meet our Liam the Lion, and show him so much love.
We couldn’t help but smile knowing that, along with being New York kids, you both have something pretty special in common… you’re both comedians.
Pete, your genuine willingness to listen, learn, and shine a light on this rare and profound disorder means more to us than we can put into words. And your generous donation to the Cri du Chat Research Foundation will help advance critical research and drug development for 5p-. We are incredibly grateful.
But this moment is about something much bigger than Cri du Chat.
Hundreds of millions of people live with rare diseases, yet most still have no treatment for the underlying cause.Science is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Gene therapy, RNA therapies, and other disease-modifying technologies are creating possibilities that once seemed impossible. But the business model needed to bring these breakthroughs from the laboratory to rare disease patients is failing the very people who need them.
Families like ours are increasingly being asked to lead research and raise millions of dollars simply to create a path toward the treatments our children desperately need.We cannot accept a future where the science exists, but access does not.
Every year matters. Every child matters. Every family waiting for an answer matters. Every dollar matters.For children like Liam, disease-modifying therapies could potentially change the trajectory of their lives — not simply manage their symptoms.
That is why awareness matters. Why advocacy matters. Why investment matters. And why having people like Pete use their voice to stand beside our rare disease community matters.Pete, thank you for seeing Liam, learning his story, supporting our mission, and helping the world see him — and the thousands of others living with 5p- syndrome, too.
Awareness creates connection.
Connection creates investment.
Investment creates innovation.
And innovation can create access to life-changing treatments.Thank you Pete for using your platform and public figure status to shine a light on a rare disease community that so often goes unseen—and helping us create meaningful change for those living with 5p- syndrome.
For Liam. For every 5p- family. And for every rare disease community fighting hard for science to catch up with possibility.”
Wow. How heartwarming!
The statement included quite the adorable photo, too. Check it out (below):
According to the National Institute of Health, Cri du Chat syndrome results “from a deletion of variable size occurring on the short arm of chromosome 5 (5p-). The incidence ranges from 1:15,000 to 1:50,000 live-born infants.”
Those with the disease may experience “clinical features” like “a high-pitched monochromatic cry, microcephaly, broad nasal bridge, abnormal dermatoglyphics” and more.
We think Pete’s pretty awesome to bring awareness to the condition with such a massive gift. Rooting for you, Liam!
[Image via NBC/YouTube.]
