Anton Yelchin Foundation Gives $1 Million To Keck Hospital Clinic

LOS ANGELES, CA — A clinic for adult cystic fibrosis patients at Keck Hospital of USC received a $1 million gift this week from the Anton Yelchin Foundation, whose namesake received treatment for the disease at the clinic prior to the actor's death at the age of 27 in a freak accident.

The USC Center for Cystic Fibrosis - Adult Care provided 10 years of care to help the "Star Trek" actor manage his health. His parents, Irina and Victor Yelchin, along with the board of directors of the foundation, gathered at the newly named Anton Yelchin Cystic Fibrosis Clinic with the hospital's cystic fibrosis team to commemorate the gift.

The clinic helps people with cystic fibrosis transition from pediatric to adult care. The clinic's multidisciplinary team works with patients and their families to create individualized treatment plans.

"The staff at the cystic fibrosis clinic was like a family to Anton," his mother said. "He worked hard and was dedicated to living a healthy life. When he needed assistance, they were always there for him."

The actor's parents created the Anton Yelchin Foundation in memory of their son, who died on June 19, 2016, when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backward down the steep driveway of his Studio City home, crushing him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.

"Anton had a generous spirit," said his father, who serves as the foundation's CEO and board president. "This gift not only reflects our gratitude to the clinic, but also Anton's dedication to helping others."

About 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease that affects the mucus and sweat glands, causing a buildup of mucus in the lungs and other organs. Complications can include lung infections, sinusitis and poor weight gain and growth.

Though symptoms vary, people with cystic fibrosis require daily medical therapies and sometimes, hospitalization or even lung transplantation. But with medical advances, the median life expectancy for people with the disease has nearly quadrupled since the 1960s in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health.

City News Service; Photo: Anton Yelchin arrives at the 'Fright Night' Premiere during the 37th Deauville American Film Festival on September 3, 2011 in Deauville, France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)