Harriet Joyce Foundation

Harriet Joyce Foundation

United for
the future of
our children.

Year 1 Funding Committed:

$5 Million

❝The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed❞

–William Gibson

At the Harriet Joyce Foundation, we hold these words close. They are not just a reflection on technology, they are a call to action. A reminder that while science and innovation continue to advance, those advancements are not reaching everyone equally. And in that gap—in that injustice—children are suffering.

We believe that where a child is born should not determine whether they live a full and healthy life. But today, too often, it does.

When I visit hospitals, rural clinics, or sit with families in Ecuador, I am reminded why we do this work. They’re me. Me there. That child could have been me—or yours. That mother’s fear, that father’s hope, that grandparent’s quiet resilience, they are not foreign. They are familiar. Their dreams are ours. Their future is our responsibility.

That is why we have committed ourselves to building a future where genomic medicine, environmental safety, and quality healthcare are not reserved for a privileged few—but are accessible to every child, everywhere.

Together with partners like Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and with the unwavering support of Ecuador’s Ministry of Health, we are working to bring cutting-edge newborn screening and rare disease care to the communities that need it most.

This is not charity. This is justice. And it is how we turn empathy into action.

To everyone who supports this mission—thank you for walking alongside us. You are helping to build a world where the future truly belongs to all of us.

And to every family, every parent, every child in Ecuador, I close with this message: You are seen. You are valued. You deserve the best science can offer.

Thank you.

Jeffrey Himmel
Founder

The Harriet Joyce Foundation seeks to address these
critical public health challenges in Ecuador:

Newborn
Health

Nutrition and Environmental
Health

Our Science,
Medicine &
Technology
Advisors

Newborn Health

Currently, Ecuador screens for only a handful of disorders at birth. Bringing scientific know-how and technology could assist in expanding this program to include whole exome sequencing, potentially identifying over 500 treatable or manageable disorders. 

This would be a significant leap from the current four, offering a brighter future for newborns and their families.

Nutrition and Environmental Health

What is it that´s preventing our children from thriving? Beyond the best nutritional interventions, what other factors are impeding their growth? Our vision, our initiative, is to identify the underlying health issues, from genetic risk factors to unknown exposures, from environmental toxins to heavy metals, the hidden threat of aflatoxins, bacteria associated with poor growth, sickle cell disease, ova and parasites, micro and macro-nutrient deficiencies, and environmental enteropathies—a condition linked to chronic exposure to unsanitary environments, which impairs nutrient absorption and contributes to stunted growth and poor development. 

We will explore how these environmental factors, combined with nutritional deficiencies, create a vicious cycle that hampers children’s development and makes them more vulnerable to disease. We will then provide the necessary know-how and support to mitigate these risks, offering healthcare interventions to ensure a safer environment for the Ecuadorian people.