In 1946, a group of Oklahoma physicians and civic leaders gathered with a shared vision: to alleviate pain and disease through medical advances. That dream took the form of a new research institute: the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
Together, those visionaries rallied a young state around the idea that an investment in biomedical research was an investment in all of humanity. With donations ranging from 30 cents to $26,000, some 7,500 Oklahomans came together to create a foundation with a simple yet impossibly complex mission: That more may live longer, healthier lives.
In the 75 years since, discoveries at OMRF have yielded a drug to treat children with a life-threatening blood clotting disorder, a medication for a rare and potentially fatal blood disease, and the first targeted therapy for the pain crises in people with sickle cell disease. Scientists at OMRF have made breakthroughs in understanding and treating autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis, as well as cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS. Today, we’re home to some of the world’s foremost immunologists, cardiovascular biologists and researchers in the field
of aging, all working diligently to make the next
life-changing breakthrough.
None of this would have been possible without the steadfast support of donors like you.
That’s because a discovery is not so much a moment as it is the result of a process. That process – develop a hypothesis, test it, analyze the results, refine your hypothesis in light of those results, repeat – takes years, even decades. It is marked by failures at every stage. Even when it is successful, science requires abundant patience.
And resources.
If you’re receiving this book, it means you’ve stuck with us year in, year out. You’ve given for at least five consecutive years. For that, we can’t thank you enough.
Your bedrock support enables us to do today’s experiments, and it lets us plan for tomorrow’s. It allows us to recruit new scientists. It supports the ones who are already here. It purchases lab supplies and scientific equipment.
In short, you provide the foundation upon which we’ll build future a-ha moments.
You’ll meet some of your fellow loyal donors in the following pages. Like you, they share a vision for healthier tomorrows. And thanks to your generosity, we move closer each day to making that dream a reality.
Read more from The Givers
Major Giver
Taking Flight
Cason Consistency
Matter of Trust
Research Advocate
Giving with Gratitude
Team Players
Research Champion
The Next Generation
Partnering for Health
A Family Affair
Home Team
The Insider
