The Genesis Fund

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The Genesis Fund was founded in 1982 in Boston by Murray Feingold, MD. At that time I was working at the Birth Defects Department at New England Medical Center in Boston doing medical research.

Founder's Message

The care and treatment of children born with birth defects, genetic diseases and mental retardation has not only been the focus of my professional career but it is also my personal mission. Caring for these wonderful children takes time: time with each child, time for their parents, and time to manage their complex care. Every minute we spend doing this, is time well spent.

Murray Feingold, M.D.
Founder & President of The Genesis Fund

The History of the Genesis Fund

Our vision is to provide children with multiple disabilities, not only expert medical care but coordinated comprehensive care as well. The Genesis Fund was formed 27 years ago to make this vision a reality.

Comprehensive care includes making referrals to the best medical specialists, coordinating multiple appointments which are typically necessary, organizing therapeutic programs in local communities, and having sufficient time to answer the many questions that parents have regarding their child's condition and care.

This is not an easy task to accomplish. Most of these services are not covered by insurance or third party payers, and they are very costly. To cover these costs the Genesis Fund raises money through special events, corporate giving, and personal donations.

The first major event held to benefit the Genesis Fund was an evening with legendary dancer, Rudolph Nureyev. A concert by the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti soon followed and later, an unforgettable Gala at Filenes.

Subsequently, the John Havlicek Celebrity Fishing Tournament, Welch's/Yaz Legends Golf Tournament, the KISS108 concert, and the Children's Miracle Network Telethon were added to our impressive roster of benefit events.

That was just the beginning. Today there are many wonderful events raising money for the Genesis Fund. See our Events page for details.

The success of the Genesis Fund can be credited in large part to the invaluable efforts of our Board of Directors. Initially, the board members were from the local media, and now corporate executives and sports legends have joined this illustrious group of dedicated individuals.

As the Genesis Fund event calendar has expanded over the years, more and more programs to help these children and their families have evolved as well.

The National Birth Defects Center innovated a system for coordinating multiple appointments so that the patient can see more than one specialist at the same visit. Satellite clinics have been established in various New England communities, thus limiting the need for these families to make frequent trips to Boston.

Therapy and the Performing Arts programs have been added in many New England communities as well. Participants receive therapeutic benefits from fun and rewarding experiences.

The Pregnancy Exposure InfoLine was established to answer the questions of concerned prospective parents regarding potential effects that environmental agents might have on their unborn baby. This free service now receives an average of 250 calls per month.

The Genesis Fund makes it possible for these much needed programs to exist; programs that might not otherwise be available to these children and their families.

The need for these programs remains and it is even more essential that the Genesis Fund continues to fulfill its mission to help children with birth defects, mental retardation, and genetic diseases.