44 | SEPTEMBER 14 • 2023 

OUR COMMUNITY

D

an and Jennifer Gilbert, 
co-founders of the Gilbert 
Family Foundation, announced 
on Sept. 6 a historic partnership with 
Henry Ford Health and the Shirley 
Ryan AbilityLab, to bring a 72-bed 
state-of-the-art physical medicine and 
rehabilitation facility to Detroit.
The Gilbert Family Foundation also 
announced the creation of the Nick 
Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research 
Institute in partnership with Henry 
Ford Health + Michigan State University 
Health Sciences. 
The construction and operation 
of these two initiatives will cost an 
estimated $439 million over 10 years. 
To bring the projects to life, the Gilbert 
Family Foundation will contribute nearly 
$375 million in grant funding.

NICK GILBERT 
NEUROFIBROMATOSIS 
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
“As a wife and a mother, the most 
important thing to me is the health 

and safety of my family,” said Jennifer 
Gilbert. “Unfortunately, health is one of 
those things that is sometimes out of our 
control.”
Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic 
disease that causes tumors to grow on 
nerve pathways anywhere in the body. 
After a short video highlighting the life 

of their son Nick who died in May from 
complications of NF, Jennifer Gilbert 
said, “Nick always looked on the bright 
side and inspired all of us. Nick’s fighting 
spirit is shared with his father. Dan 
continues to work on his recovery from 
a stroke in 2019 with the support of our 
family and his incredible team. 
“As I reflect on Nick and Dan’s 
journeys, I recognize that our family has 
been privileged to have access to the best 
care possible,” she added. “This isn’t the 
reality for most Detroiters. We believed 
that the people of Detroit deserved better, 
so we decided to build something better.”
The Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis 
Research Institute will collaborate with 
research institutions and researchers 
from around the world to create 
novel disease models using organoid 
technology and other research 
methodologies. These organoids or “mini 
organs in a dish” allow researchers to 
rapidly test potential drug treatments to 
see the positive and negative impacts of 
those potential treatments on healthy 

Gilbert Family Foundation to bring rehab hospital to Detroit 
and create the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute.
A Transformational Gift

JACKIE HEADAPOHL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nick Gilbert, who died from complications of 
Neurofibromatosis in May

Dan and Jennifer 
announced nearly 
$375 million in 
contributions to 
improve access 
to health care for 
Detroit residents.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GILBERT FAMILY FOUNDATION

