Fighting Genetic Illnesses with Cutting-Edge Research and Compassion

Learn more about our work

2023 Annual Report | Read it here!

The Clinic’s 2023 Annual Report is here! Learn about how we're working every day to create brighter...

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New Building Project Construction Updates

Welcome to the Clinic for Special Children's new building project updates page! We will be posting construction...

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We’re Moving on April 1, 2024!

We're excited to share that the Clinic for Special Children is moving to our new, expanded facility...

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The Clinic for Special Children is where compassionate care
& humanity meets the future of genetic medicine.
Dr. Laura Poskitt, Medical Director

A Medical Practice That Makes a Real Difference

Our clinic serves as a trusted medical practice for children and adults facing rare genetic disorders. Our dedicated team works every day to prevent and treat genetic illnesses. Our facility is in the heart of the Amish and Mennonite communities in Lancaster County. Inside is filled with cutting-edge gene sequencing tools that allow us to deliver highly personalized care—a precise treatment option for the right patient at the right time.

Learn about our mission

Patient Story

Crystal Martin's Story

Crystal Martin has been coming to the Clinic since she was two days old. That was 26 years ago.

Born with Maple Syrup Urine Disease, or MSUD, Crystal benefitted from the Clinic’s groundbreaking discoveries into this devastating condition. Previously, one in three people with MSUD died in childhood. The condition left many others with severe neurological and physical disabilities. Not Crystal.

Clinic physicians immediately started her on a special formula they developed and later transitioned her to a diet that prevented brain damage. Growing up with a severe metabolic disease was not easy, as her condition could change quickly. Yet she has good memories of her frequent visits to the Clinic.

“All three doctors were trying to figure me out, not just one,” she recalls. “Dr. Strauss would draw things out so I could understand them.” She also remembers that after having blood drawn, “I would run my blood samples down the hall to Erik” (Dr. Puffenberger, the Lab Director). Stickers, Band-Aids, and Beanie Babies remain part of her Clinic memories.

A liver transplant at age 15 changed her life. The Clinic’s close collaborative relationship with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh helped make the transplant possible. For Crystal, a properly functioning liver meant the end of her many dietary restrictions. Her first request? Mint chocolate chip ice cream. “It was creamier than I expected.”

Crystal is now a teacher at the Millway School. She returns to the Clinic for quarterly checkups and has monthly blood tests to monitor her condition. “Being able to continue to meet with my doctors will be a great benefit,” she says. “The new location will be 15 minutes closer for me, too.”

Help us to continue to provide patients with timely, affordable and effective care!

Our clinic serves as a trusted medical home for families working to prevent and treat genetic illness in their children. Serving predominantly Amish and Mennonite families, the sturdy, timber-framed building was "raised" by the hands of those in the Anabaptist community outside of Strasburg, PA. Inside the clinic is filled with an array of high-tech gene sequencing that allows us to deliver state of the art care in a nurturing environment.

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