MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the fund is to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis patient rehabilitation.
In 1999, two years after Liz was stricken with MS the entire Birney family started participating in the annual MS walk at Cheshire Connecticut. Soon the "BIRNEY BUNCH" grew to nearly 200 members and for quite a few years raised considerable sums for the national MS society. The society through the years has done much to fund research into the cause and cure of MS. The Birneys however were more concerned with the rehabilitation of patients afflicted with the disease.
In 2007 The Birneys' had the idea to start its own non-profit organization and use the money it was raising to help fund a local facility that was involved in MS rehabilitation. After some research the family agreed that GAYLORD HOSPITAL in Wallingford was the right choice.The Multiple Sclerosis program at Gaylord focuses on evaluation and treatment, medication management and home care training. The program offers patients the most current approaches in spasticity management.The multiple sclerosis assessment service at Gaylord is the only program in Connecticut directed by a physiatrist (a physician specializing in rehabilitation medicine)
In January of 2008 the EBGMSFUND (Elizabeth Birney Gagliardi fund for the rehabilitation of multiple sclerosis patients ) was founded and established as a non-profit charitable corporation with both The State of Connecticut and The federal IRS.
An endowment fund was established at Gaylord Hospital which will be used to help pay for the rehabilitation of those patients at the hospital who are undergoing rehab for multiple sclerosis whose insurance benefits may have run out.
After the endowment is fully funded the EBGMSFUND hopes to be able to provide college scholorships to the children of MS victims.
EBGMSFUND IS A NON-PROFIT CHARITABLE CORPORATION