Buffalo Charge in a Storm
Most animals retreat in a storm. The buffalo behaves differently.
When most wild animals sense an incoming storm, they attempt to outrun the danger. They generally turn to run away from the storm, but unknowingly increase their exposure as they continue to travel in the same direction as the storm overhead -- never outrunning it.
The way Buffalo react to an incoming storm is different and unique in the animal kingdom. Buffalo wait for the storm to cross the ridge of a mountaintop. Just as the storm approaches, Buffalo turn and charge directly into the storm. By herding to face the storm head-on, they actually minimize the time spent in the storm. This approach resonates with us as business leaders turned patient-advocates. When our children became sick, we ran head first into the storm, starting research foundations and spearheading pre-clinical research efforts.
We believe that we can treat children with genetic brain diseases today.
This is because patient leaders have an unparalleled track record and competitive advantage in therapeutic development. The Buffalo Initiative is the first-ever philanthropic initiative to directly fund patient leaders to bring de-risked therapies from pre-clinical to patient clinical trials. As history has taught us time and time again, never underestimate those with the most to lose and the most to gain. No one has more at stake than parents of sick kids.