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Cara O' Neill, MD, FAAP

Co-Founder
Cure Sanfilippo Foundation
P.O. Box 6901
Columbia, South Carolina, United States

Dr. Cara O’Neill, FAAP, was a practicing pediatrician in South Carolina prior to her daughter Eliza being diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A in 2013. Cara O’Neil and her husband Glenn O’Neill founded Cure Sanfilippo Foundation after receiving her daughter’s diagnosis in 2013. Since then, they have spread awareness around the globe about Sanfilippo syndrome via talk shows, news media, online platforms, and international newspapers. As Chief Science Officer, Cara leads the Foundation’s patient-focused research efforts and has presented at international conferences and authored peer-reviewed journal articles. In addition, she collaborates with other non-profit groups on mutual advocacy and research interests, as well as oversees the foundation’s funding of external scientific programs.

Dr. O’Neill was awarded the international 2020 Patient Advocacy Leader Award by WORLD Symposium for her exceptional thought leadership and contributions. For their rare disease work, Glenn and Cara were awarded the Portraits of Courage Honor by NORD in 2015, as well as being a Tribute to Champions of Hope finalist for Global Genes. In 2017, they received the South Carolina Child Advocate Award from the SC American Academy of Pediatrics.