Our Story

We are driven by a single purpose:
to improve the lives of children affected by epilepsy.

Our Story

From Vision to Reality

Twenty years ago, Mark Borman and Andrew Gumpert were two fathers navigating the same crisis: children diagnosed with epilepsy, and months-long waits to see a specialist. Alongside their families — including Nicole Gumpert and Karen Hermelin — they met countless others facing the same shortage, the same uncertainty, and the same helplessness.

So in 2006, they hosted the first Care & Cure Dinner to fund pediatric epilepsy fellowships in the Greater Los Angeles area.

What began as two families determined to create change has grown into a national model. Today, we’ve trained 57 pediatric epileptologists, established endowed fellowships at leading children’s hospitals, and reduced wait times from months to days. And we’re growing — working to put expert epilepsy care within reach of every child who needs it.

MARK & ARI BORMAN

Mark Borman, Care & Cure Institute President, advances epilepsy care and research, inspired by his son Ari.

ANDREW & CHLOE GUMPERT

Andrew Gumpert, Vice President of the Care & Cure Institute, advocates for epilepsy research and care, inspired by his daughter Chloe.

Our Story

The Care & Cure Mission

The Care & Cure Institute is dedicated to removing financial barriers for doctors pursuing advanced training in pediatric epilepsy, with an ambitious goal of funding 100 fellows by 2030. By collaborating with hospitals and academic centers nationwide, the Institute plans to place trained pediatric epileptologists in Level 4 hospitals and establish dedicated Pediatric Units across the country. This initiative ensures an immediate impact, as doctors begin caring for children during and immediately after their training.

The program fosters advancements in epilepsy research by enabling doctors to divide their time between treatment and studies. Through a Master Endowment, fellows will be funded in perpetuity, ensuring long-term sustainability. The Care & Cure Institute believes this approach is the fastest and most cost-effective way to improve treatment access for children and work toward the ultimate goal of curing pediatric epilepsy.

Our Story

Built by Families. Driven by Hope.

Mark Borman and Andrew Gumpert — alongside Karen Hermelin and Nicole Gumpert — didn’t set out to build an institution. They were parents living the uncertainty of catastrophic childhood epilepsy, enduring the long waits for a specialist, and meeting countless other families facing the same. Twenty years later, what they started is a national movement.

Its model funds pediatric epilepsy fellows to split their time between treating children and advancing research, and — through a Master Endowment — sustains those positions in perpetuity. The Institute believes this is the fastest, most cost-effective way to widen access to care, and to move toward the ultimate goal: curing pediatric epilepsy.

The Gumpert Family

Left to right: Alex, Nicole, Chloe, Andrew, and Jake Gumpert

The Borman Family

Left to right: Mark Borman, Karen Hermelin, Ari Borman, Zeke Borman, and Maddie Borman

Care & Cure is inspired by two remarkable children: Andrew’s daughter, Chloe, and my son, Ari and countless others who face epilepsy every day. They are the heart of why we’re all gathered here tonight. They inspire us to do better, to be better, and to ensure that every child—regardless of their home language or their family’s financial situation—has access to the care they deserve.

Mark borman

Co-Founder of Cure & Care Institute

Our Story

The Evolution of Care & Cure

Since 2006, the Care & Cure Institute has transformed pediatric epilepsy care in Los Angeles through fellowship funding, comprehensive support programs, and partnerships with leading institutions.

2006

Inspiration

The Care & Cure Institute was born from the personal experiences of Mark Borman and Andrew Gumpert, parents of children affected by epilepsy. They recognized the critical shortage of pediatric epilepsy specialists in Los Angeles, where families were forced to wait months for an appointment. This inspired them to found the Institute with the mission to train more specialists and increase care access.

2007

Founding of Care & Cure

The Care & Cure Institute was officially founded to tackle the urgent need for pediatric epilepsy specialists. Families were facing life-threatening delays, so the Institute’s mission was to fund fellowships and create a sustainable pipeline of specialists trained to treat pediatric epilepsy.

2008

First Fellowship Funded

In its first year, the Institute funded its first pediatric epilepsy fellowship. The fellow, Dr. Shaun Hussain, trained at UCLA Health’s Level 4 Epilepsy Center, setting the foundation for future fellowships and directly improving care access. Dr. Hussain’s work has gone on to transform the lives of countless children with epilepsy, proving the long-term impact of this investment.

2009

Expansion

In just a few years, the Care & Cure Institute tripled its fellowship funding. From one fellow per year, the Institute grew to three fellows annually, significantly increasing access to expert care and reducing wait times for families who previously had limited options.

2010

Institutional Collaboration

Care & Cure partnered with UCLA Health, USC Keck School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) to integrate fellows into top epilepsy care programs. These strategic collaborations directly improved patient outcomes by ensuring that newly trained specialists could start treating children immediately.

2013

Comprehensive Support

Expanded Care & Cure’s mission to include ketogenic diet programs, research, and advocacy efforts to offer holistic support for children with epilepsy and their families.

2016

Endowment Expansion Begins

Care & Cure reached a major milestone by establishing a $1.6 million endowment at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, ensuring that one new specialist would be trained every year, forever. This endowment laid the foundation for a sustainable pipeline of experts dedicated to childhood epilepsy care.

2017

National Expansion

Care & Cure’s model expanded to other cities, bringing its fellowship and endowment model to UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, addressing the nationwide shortage of pediatric epilepsy specialists and ensuring equitable access to care.

2023

Nationwide Impact

Endowments at UCLA Health, CHLA, UCSF, USC Keck, and MOTT Children’s Hospital ensure long-term funding for pediatric epilepsy fellowship training. The $60 million Master Endowment continues to grow, with the goal of training 100 specialists by 2030 and expanding access to high-quality care nationwide.

JOIN US

Join Us in Writing the Next Chapter

Your support helps us continue this journey—funding research, training specialists, and transforming lives. Be a part of our story.