About The Fund
The Cook family, together with many caring friends, started The Jordyn Cook Epilepsy Fund in 2006. The decision to raise money for Epilepsy came from a deep desire to have resources available so that the community could learn in minutes what took The Cooks over six years to learn and Jordyn’s inspiring Epileptologist, Dr. Elizabeth Thiele of Mass General Hospital. Through the years The Cook Family has supported many worthwhile causes including Work Inc. , Multiple Sclerosis, The Ron Burton Training Village and The Pine Street Inn having donated or raised over $300,000 and countless time and energy. It certainly seemed time to support something that directly affected their family.
The Fund’s mission came out of a conversation with Dr. Thiele about Jordyn’s treatment. We had always been treating Epilepsy and Dr. Thiele wanted to treat Jordyn. This was a foreign concept to the family. Beyond that Dr. Thiele felt it important to treat the family and the community. This broad picture about the social stigma, lack of information or interest in learning about Epilepsy set The Fund in motion.
Dr. Thiele was already beginning an educational web site in partnership with WGBH, “Growing up with Epilepsy”. She just hadn’t found a partner to fund the site. It was The Jordyn Cook Epilepsy Fund’s first pledge; $350,000.00 to be the sole funding source of the site. The Growing up with Epilepsy web site went live in November 2006. The Jordyn Cook Epilepsy Fund has raised over $100,000.00 to date.