Tom and Holly Gores Partner with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to Create New State-of-the-Art Allergy Center

The Gores Family Allergy Center will Treat Children with
Life-Threatening Food Allergies and Other Allergic Disorders

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Los Angeles financier and philanthropist Tom Gores and his wife Holly
have made a $5 million commitment to establish a new pediatric allergy
treatment center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). In honor of
the family’s generous gift, the center will be named the Gores Family
Allergy Center and plan to expand clinical treatment for children with
severe and life-threatening allergies, in particular allergies to food.
The center will be the first of its kind in Los Angeles, filling an
important need in a city with thousands of children suffering from these
medical conditions.

An estimated 1 in 13 children in the United States is affected by an
allergy to foods like milk, eggs, peanuts, fish and shellfish—a figure
that is steadily growing. Despite this fact, very few academic centers
specialize in the treatment of severe food allergies.

“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is grateful for this partnership and
the Gores family’s commitment to the special care required for treatment
of childhood allergies,” says Paul S. Viviano, president and chief
executive officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “In the United
States alone, nearly six million children under the age of 18 suffer
from a food allergy. For some of these children, a chance brush with
trace amounts of the wrong food can place them in a battle for their
lives.”

“For families with children who suffer from severe food allergies,
simply going out to eat can be a scary and dangerous experience,” says
Mrs. Gores. “We know firsthand what it’s like to live with that fear and
we want to make more resources available here in Southern California to
improve the lives of children diagnosed with food allergies.”

Mr. Gores says he’s excited about the impact the new center will have
and that partnering with CHLA was a natural fit. “With access to the
right tools and information, kids with severe food allergies can live
with greater confidence, freedom and peace of mind,” he adds. “We have
been working with CHLA for several years and have great faith in their
mission and expertise.”

The Gores family first connected with CHLA in 2013 when their daughters,
Catherina and Amanda, inspired by their brother’s severe food allergies,
founded a charitable fundraising arm called EpiPals in partnership with
CHLA. The EpiPals mission is to support families of children with severe
food allergies through education, awareness, and the distribution of
EpiPens to underserved Los Angeles communities. An EpiPen is an
injectable form of epinephrine that can quickly reverse an allergic
reaction. Through EpiPals, the Gores sisters have raised nearly $1
million for CHLA in support of allergy patients and the work of the
Division of Clinical Immunology.

The Gores Family Allergy Center will be based in the Division of
Clinical Immunology and Allergy at CHLA, led by Joseph Church, MD. “CHLA
has developed a reputation for helping children with life-threatening
health conditions,” says Church. “Now, thanks to the generosity of the
Gores family, we have the opportunity to provide a much-needed resource
to new and existing patients in Southern California – offering
comprehensive treatment that is integrated with patient-centered
research.”

The center’s immediate focus will be expanding CHLA’s treatment
capabilities by hiring new staff and broadening the services available
to patients with allergies and their families. A new physician allergist
is joining the center this month. A dietician will be made available to
provide nutritional evaluations, patient guidance and education on
food-avoidance measures and a licensed psychologist will help support
the emotional needs of patients and families. A registered nurse will be
hired to coordinate clinical studies on innovative treatment for food
allergies. Additionally, the center will engage in community outreach to
local Los Angeles schools to ensure staff and students are educated
about allergies.

Mr. Gores is Founder, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity, LLC, a global
private equity firm based in Beverly Hills and is owner of the Detroit
Pistons. He serves on the board of trustees for the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art. Mrs. Gores serves as a Trustee of The Center for Early
Education in West Hollywood.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a nonprofit pediatric health care
organization dedicated to creating hope and building healthier futures
for children. Honored as the premier children’s hospital in California
and among the top 10 in the nation, we treat 107,000 young patients
annually from Los Angeles and around the world. As a pediatric charity
of choice, the hospital relies on the generosity of the community to
support its groundbreaking pediatric research and the complex care it
provides for critically ill and injured children.

For more information, visit CHLA.org.
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Contacts

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Lorenzo Benet, 323-361-4823
Director,
CHLA Media Relations
lbenet@chla.usc.edu