PHILADELPHIA—The NephCure Foundation will be a featured charity during the upcoming season of NBC’s reality series "The Celebrity Apprentice."
The announcement was made Jan. 4 during "Today" on NBC.
"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice has designated the kidney disease non-profit as her charity beneficiary if she wins prize money on the broadcast network prime time series, which begins on Sunday, February 12 on NBC.
"We are excited that Teresa is playing for NephCure on The Celebrity Apprentice," said NephCure Executive Director Henry Brehm. "We are all thankful for everything she has done to help bring awareness to the kidney disease FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome. We are extremely interested to see how successful she is in the show and how the season plays out."
NephCure is a national 501 (c)3 non-profit based in Berwyn, Pa., whose mission it is to fund research that seeks the cause, cure and effective treatments for the kidney disease Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and Nephrotic Syndrome.
Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS are conditions that affect the tiny filtering mechanisms in the kidney. The result is that beneficial protein is spilled from the kidney into the urine and lost. Over time this condition can result in renal failure and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant. The cause for Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS is not known, and there is no cure.
Over 5,600 people are diagnosed with FSGS each year and it is the leading cause of kidney failure in children.
Giudice chose NephCure as her beneficiary of the potential $250,000 prize for winning Celebrity Apprentice because of her relationship with a Melville, NY-based family whose eight-year-old child is suffering from the kidney disease FSGS.
"Children are suffering from these diseases and there is no cure," said Giudice. "NephCure is a dynamic organization that helps patient families living with FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome. I am honored to be associated with NephCure and hope that my involvement in ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ leads to hope for the thousands of patients who are suffering from these diseases."
