Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have committed a significant $12.5 million to blood cancer research and treatment, a cause deeply personal for Dee Haslam following her 2021 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosis.
The donation includes includes $10 million to the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre in England for research and drug development focused on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other rare blood cancers.
The other $2.5 million will go to Cleveland's University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, which will establish an endowed chair in CLL research and an innovation fund toward driving advancements in care.
"I am extremely grateful that I am living a full, healthy life after being diagnosed with CLL in 2021," Dee Haslam said in a statement.
"Together with UH Seidman Cancer Center and the Oxford-Harrington Centre, we hope to increase knowledge of CLL, generate new treatments and give others the confidence and information they need to navigate the disease. Ideally, cures for other blood disorders will be discovered in the process."
CLL is the most common form of leukemia in adults. There remains no cure but modern therapies have made it a manageable condition.
The Harrington Discovery Institute was founded in 2021. It has 227 medicines in the making, 75 institutions supported, 47 companies launched, 24 medicines in the clinic and 15 licenses to pharma.
Beyond their NFL team, the Haslams are also majority owners of the Milwaukee Bucks, Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew and an NWSL expansion franchise in Columbus.
The Milwaukee Bucks failed to make the NBA playoffs this year after finishing the season with 32 wins and 50 losses.
Meanwhile, Colombus Crew are currently 10th in the MLS Eastern Conference table after taking 12 points from their opening 11 matches of the season.
They have three wins and three draws in the current campaign, alongside five defeats.
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.
