Ben Affleck has backed a cause that’s personal to him. The actor went to The Care & Cure Institute’s 20th Anniversary Gala on October 29, 2026, and donated $100,000 to help improve healthcare for kids with epilepsy. He also took the chance to talk about why young patients need to get the medical attention they need.According to PEOPLE, Affleck was honoured at the event for supporting the organisation’s work. The evening raised nearly $2 million to help train more doctors who specialise in treating childhood epilepsy, an area of healthcare where access to experienced specialists remains a challenge.
Ben Affleck opens up about why the cause matters to him
During his speech, Affleck spoke about his personal connection to epilepsy and how seeing people close to him deal with the condition had shaped his understanding of it.“Epilepsy isn’t abstract to me. I’ve watched people I care about deal with it, and I’ve seen how much it matters when a family can get in front of the right doctor quickly,” he said.He also spoke about meeting doctors at UCLA and seeing the work they do for children with epilepsy. His experience helped him understand how much difference trained medical professionals can make to families navigating a difficult diagnosis.Rather than focusing only on his donation, Affleck used the occasion to recognise the doctors, families and supporters who have contributed to the cause. He thanked those present for their generosity, saying, “Tonight I’m saying thank you for giving and giving generously. You have really changed lives.”
How The Care & Cure Institute began its journey?
The organisation’s story began with two families facing a similar challenge. Its co-founders, Andrew Gumpert and Mark Borman, ran into the problem of finding specialised medical care themselves after their children were diagnosed with epilepsy at birth.Even with top medical facilities nearby, they found it wasn’t always easy to track down doctors with the right training. That experience pushed them to set up The Care & Cure Institute in 2006, aiming to help more children get specialised treatment.Over the years, the organisation has focused on supporting medical training programmes and expanding the number of paediatric epileptologists. These specialists work specifically with children who have epilepsy, helping with diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
The gala raises nearly $2 million for medical training
The anniversary celebration marked two decades of the institute’s work. The nearly $2 million raised during the evening will support its efforts to train more specialists through fellowship programmes at children’s hospitals and medical centres.The organisation has supported 57 paediatric epilepsy fellows and established partnerships with six hospitals. According to the institute, doctors trained through its programmes have helped care for more than 350,000 children over the past 20 years.For families, access to the right specialist can make a significant difference when dealing with a condition that may require ongoing medical attention. By investing in training, the institute hopes to make expert care available to more children in different parts of the country.Affleck also offered a reminder that illness can affect any family, regardless of their circumstances. “None of us get to choose whether it’s our child or someone else’s child who gets sick,” he said. “But all of us get to choose what we’re going to do about the children who do get sick.”His message brought the evening back to its central purpose: helping children and families who need support. The actor’s contribution also helped bring wider attention to an organisation working to address a specific gap in children’s healthcare.
Who is Ben Affleck?
Ben Affleck is an American actor, filmmaker and screenwriter, born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California. He broke through internationally with ‘Good Will Hunting’ (1997), which he co-wrote with Matt Damon, and the two won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for it. Since then, he’s been in films like ‘Armageddon’, ‘Pearl Harbor’, ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘Air’. He’s also played Batman in several DC films and co-founded the production company Artists Equity with Damon.
