The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million--and Bucked the Medical Establishment--in a Quest to Save His Children

The book that inspired the movie, Extraordinary Measures, starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Keri Russell, The Cure by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand is the remarkable true story of one father’s determination to find a cure for his terminally sick children even if it meant he had to build a business from scratch to do so. 

With three beautiful children, a new house, and financial security, John and Aileen Crowley were on top of the world—until their two youngest children, fifteen-month-old Megan and five-month-old Patrick, were diagnosed with Pompe disease and given only months to live. Refusing to accept a death sentence, John quit his financial consultant job and invested his life savings in a biotechnology start-up to research the disease and find a cure. Battling scientific setbacks, conflict of interest accusations, and business troubles, John and Aileen would be tested to their limits as they valiantly fought, and succeeded, in finding revolutionary new treatment for the disease—offering hope to Megan, Patrick, and the many children and families affected by Pompe disease around the world. 

The riveting true story of John and Aileen Crowley's race to find a cure for Pompe disease that inspired the movie Extraordinary Measures

With three beautiful children, a new house, and financial security, John and Aileen Crowley were on top of the world—until their two youngest children, fifteen-month-old Megan and five-month-old Patrick, were diagnosed with Pompe disease and given only months to live. Refusing to accept a death sentence, John quit his financial consultant job and invested his life savings in a biotechnology start-up to research the disease and find a cure. Battling scientific setbacks, conflict of interest accusations, and business troubles, John and Aileen would be tested to their limits as they valiantly fought, and succeeded, in finding revolutionary new treatment for the disease—offering hope to Megan, Patrick, and the many children and families affected by Pompe disease around the world.

The inspiration for the captivating film Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford, The Cure is a remarkable true story of cutting-edge science, business acumen and daring, and one family's indomitable spirit.

“Amazing. . . . The Cure explores human courage under the most trying circumstances.” - New York Post

“Anand, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with the Wall Street Journal, delivers a detailed and heart-wrenching account of a father’s extraordinary efforts to save his children and find a cure for a debilitating and life-threatening disease. - Booklist

“Inspiring.” - Rutland Herald

“Suspenseful, poignant…Anand’s The Cure is a wild rollercoaster ride at the edge of medicine.” - Jonathan Weiner, author of His Brother's Keeper

“Brilliantly written! This is the story of a marriage and family that survived despite incredible odds.” - Abbey Meyers, president of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

“Intensely moving, powerful...This gripping account will inspire and sustain hope for all parents whose children are stricken with disease.” - Louis Freeh, former FBI director

“A well-researched, skillfully written, inspiring account of one man who wouldn’t take no for an answer.” - Boston Globe