At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we are truly blessed to work with wonderful patient families who wish to give back to those who made a difference in their life.  

The Reese Family has known Dr. Jane Breck for decades and wishes now to create a permanent fund in her name to continue focusing on better treatments, and hopefully a cure one day, for people living with PKU. As a developmental pediatrician, she stepped up to care for these patients at a time in Pittsburgh when there was no one specializing in PKU.

Now the PKU Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is a leading national center for treatment and research. 

PKU (Phenylketonuria) is an inherited metabolic disease that affects the body’s ability to process protein. As a result, people born with PKU face a lifetime of special medical foods and frequent blood testing because there is no cure – yet. Many of the simple things we take for granted like eating out, sleeping over at a friend’s house, going to weddings or parties, traveling for work or pleasure become far more complicated for kids and adults living with PKU. Poorly treated, PKU can cause brain damage, mental illness, and neurological deterioration.

The Jane M. Breck, MD, PKU Fund will generate resources each and every year to help advance PKU treatment and research for years to come. 

Today you can impact someone living with the lifelong effects of PKU. Together, we are matching gifts dollar for dollar up to $85,000. Your donation will be doubled, and you will be a founding donor for this permanent fund.

Through the generosity of the Reese family, the community, and you we hope to raise over $200,000 by the end of next year for PKU. We hope you will join us.