our mission
Ward’s Foundation empowers families to manage the emotional and practical challenges that arise after a child is diagnosed with a rare disease.
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What we do

One in ten Americans will be diagnosed with a rare disease - 50% of these are children. And while the diseases themselves are unique, the struggles of a rare disease diagnosis are remarkably similar. We offer holistic support that helps families, their support network and medical professionals build a path forward.

Peer Support Network

The Ward’s Foundation Peer Support Network is a community of families and caregivers who have walked this road. The Network offers in-person and virtual events designed to build connection and support, so families can walk this road together.

Crisis Navigation

A child’s rare disease diagnosis feels uncertain, isolating and overwhelming. Our licensed clinical social worker helps to process the emotional weight of a diagnosis. We foster connections and provide guidance that helps families build confidence and develop self-advocacy skills to navigate the impact of their child’s diagnosis. 

Ward’s Wayfinder

Finding online resources after a diagnosis feels like an endless internet rabbit hole. Ward’s Wayfinder pulls together high quality resources into a single online platform that helps families with their most common questions and challenges.

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From our Community

"When our rare disease journey began in 2020, we were unable to find the right resources or support for our newborn son in Charlotte. We decided to uproot our family and move over 500 miles north in search of better care at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. During our son's 9-month hospitalization, we learned the importance of specialized care for pediatric rare diseases and how necessary a multidisciplinary approach is for families to understand and cope with a complicated diagnosis. We also felt that we had missed out on the strength and support being in our home community would have provided. By partnering with WARD'S Foundation, our hope is for families in Charlotte and the Carolinas to have access to that support without having to leave home, minimizing the extra stresses that accompany a rare disease diagnosis. We are comforted that our son's legacy can live on through the hope and guidance WARD'S Foundation provides to those families."

Nicole and John Grenier

"WARD’S Foundation has given us an exceptional opportunity to develop a program tasked with supporting patients and their families as they navigate this landscape in their search for a diagnosis and to then bridge the gaps in care for children with complex medical needs.  It is this mission that has brought me here to Charlotte, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to be part of this team.”  

Elizabeth Scarlett, MD
Medical Director, Ward Winslett Center for Complex and Rare Diseases

“I have dedicated my career to advancing the care of children with serious illness, specializing in caring for children with medical complexity and their family. I am inspired by how Caroline and Trey Winslett used their heartbreak to create Ward’s legacy and I am determined to honor their story through our work at the Ward Winslett Center for Complex and Rare Diseases. We meet families at various points in their children’s lives and we work with them so that they can share their own story. We partner with them to ensure that the care their children receive honors what is most important to them.”

Nicole Sartor DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, CHPPN, FPCN
Program Director, Ward Winslett Center for Complex and Rare Diseases

upcoming event

A Rare Affair 2024

February 10, 2024

Please mark your calendars for our Second Annual A Rare Affair Saturday, February 10, 2024 at Charlotte Country Club! We hope you can join us for an amazing evening benefitting families facing rare diseases. Stay tuned - more details to come!