Cure the Cause
Supporting organ donation, transplantion, and optimization for those in need of a second chance.
We are excited to announce CURE THE CAUSE, is a 501C3 nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting Rooted in CURE’s whole-body philosophy, this initiative advances organ donation, transplantation, and optimization through awareness, advocacy, and compassionate patient support — helping restore health, extend life, and create meaningful second chances.
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Dr. Lisa Benya’s dedication to transplant medicine and patient advocacy began long before the founding of CURE the Cause. Her journey is deeply personal. Years ago, her sister faced a life-threatening battle with kidney failure. Like so many families navigating organ disease, they lived through the uncertainty, fear, and waiting that comes with the transplant process. Their family ultimately witnessed an extraordinary act of love when Lisa’s brother stepped forward to donate one of his kidneys, giving his sister a second chance at life. Watching her sister recover after the transplant showed Dr. Benya the remarkable power of organ donation — not only to save a life, but to restore hope to an entire family.
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Years later, their family was once again confronted with the harsh reality that transplant patients often face: organs do not always last forever. When Lisa’s sister required another transplant, the family again experienced an incredible act of compassion when her husband chose to become her donor. Seeing two people step forward at different moments in her sister’s life to give such a profound gift left a lasting impression on Dr. Benya. These experiences shaped her understanding that organ failure is never just about a single organ — it affects the entire body and the entire family. It also reinforced her belief that medicine must treat the whole person, not just the disease.
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Those experiences ultimately helped shape the philosophy behind CURE’s 11-Organ System approach, which looks at health through the interconnected systems of the human body. Kidney disease, like many chronic illnesses, rarely exists in isolation. It impacts cardiovascular health, immune function, metabolism, neurological well-being, and many other systems that must be supported for a patient to truly recover and thrive. By focusing on the entire biological system rather than a single condition, the CURE model seeks to improve long-term outcomes for transplant patients and support them throughout their entire health journey.
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Today, Dr. Benya carries the lessons from her sister’s experience into every aspect of CURE the Cause. Her mission is to ensure that more patients have access to lifesaving transplants, that donor families are honored for their extraordinary generosity, and that innovation in regenerative medicine and transplant science continues to advance. The story of her sister, her brother, and her brother-in-law represents the very heart of CURE the Cause: a belief that compassion, science, and community can come together to give people not just more years of life, but a better quality of life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​