Marilyn Bornefeld was a quiet homebody who was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease as a teen and received treatment at Barnes-Jewish Hospital until her death in 2006 at age 81. With the hope of helping others with Crohn’s—a chronic disorder that causes painful and often debilitating inflammation of the digestive tract—Marilyn left her estate to Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. 

“Marilyn held her doctors in high regard,” said family friend Barbara Smith. “She always appreciated the care she received—they really took care of her and she wanted her money to go toward finding a cure for Crohn’s Disease.”

In her honor, the Foundation established the Marilyn E. Bornefeld Chair for Gastrointestinal Research and the Marilyn E. Bornefeld Fund for Gastrointestinal Research.  We are grateful for these resources, which will provide sustainable support for laboratory research and its translation into clinical studies of novel therapies.

From Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation Tributes Newsletter, Spring 2008