The Gloria Estefan Foundation gave $1 million to The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to help establish a human clinical trials program. “We are in a new phase of The Miami Project. This is an important pledge toward moving the Project to the next critical phase of research,” said Miami Project Scientific Director W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., at the news conference announcing the gift.

The Gloria Estefan Foundation was created to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and to empower young people through education and opportunity. Gloria and Emilio Estefan are strong supporters of spinal cord research: With this gift, the Estefans have raised and personally given more than $42 million to The Miami Project.

In 1990 Gloria Estefan was in a devastating bus accident that left her temporarily paralyzed. “Having experienced paralysis firsthand 16 years ago, I feel especially fortunate to have had a positive outcome despite a very negative prognosis,” she said. “I vowed that I would do whatever was in my power to assist those already on their way to finding a cure.”

At a celebratory dinner, three supporters of The Miami Project were inspired by the Estefans’ gift and committed an additional $2 million to the human clinical trials program. Swanee and Paul DiMare donated $1 million, and Pennie and Gary Abramson and Maddy and Jim Berlin made $500,000 donations, bringing the total to $3 million.

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