Hillandale Farms founder donating $25M to Pitt after doctor gave him a ‘better life’

Orland Bethel was in extreme pain.

The Hillandale Farms founder suffered from spinal stenosis in his lower back, coupled with scoliosis, in 2014. It caused chronic pain in his legs.

Seeking a cure, Mr. Bethel consulted numerous surgeons who recommended a procedure that could hinder him from returning to normal activities post-surgery. Then he talked to Dr. Joon Y. Lee of the Pitt Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and UPMC.

Dr. Lee suggested using an older procedure to fix Mr. Bethel’s problems. Mr. Bethel agreed, and Dr. Lee successfully restored Mr. Bethel’s function and motion.

After that 2014 surgery, and a second one with Dr. Lee to treat another condition in 2016, the Hillandale Farms founder told Dr. Lee that he wanted to donate a “big” amount to the School of Medicine.

This month, the Orland Bethel Family Foundation pledged a $25 million gift that will enable Pitt to create the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center, expected to open in 2024. Pitt will equally match the donation with hopes of taking its study of musculoskeletal disorders to the next level.

Mr. Bethel, now 87, said nearly a decade later he still has “no problems” in his lower back. He even plays golf despite the fact that he’s “getting up there” in age.

“It might seem like an exaggeration, but in reality, I felt that [Dr. Lee] really saved my life,” Mr. Bethel said during an interview with reporters on Friday. “[He] certainly [gave me] a better life, no question to that.”

Mr. Bethel founded Greensburg-based Hillandale Farms in 1958. It’s now one of the largest suppliers of chicken eggs in the country.

His $25 million donation is the largest individual gift to any of Pitt’s health sciences schools, according to Pitt officials. Mr. Bethel previously donated $2 million to Pitt to create the Orland Bethel Chair in Spine Surgery, which is currently held by Dr. Lee.

Modeled after the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Maryland, Pitt’s new center will hone in on research of disorders like osteoporosis, degenerative arthritis, fragility fractures and spinal pathology.

Researchers will work to understand the molecular, genetic and biological mechanisms in spine-related diseases, develop therapies for osteoarthritis, and use stem cells to repair and recover from peripheral nerve injuries, among other areas of study.

Pitt leaders say the donation will make musculoskeletal medicine a major focus at the university, alongside cancer and neuroscience.

“With this exceptional gift, Orland Bethel and his family are supporting and advancing our continuum of work, from basic science to patient care,” Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel said in a statement. “I am grateful for the confidence they have placed in Pitt and for how this gift will help to elevate musculoskeletal research through the development of world-class talent and transformational discovery.”

Speaking alongside Mr. Bethel on Friday, Dr. Lee said he’s excited to see what the future holds for Pitt and its patients after Mr. Bethel’s gift.

“I’m giddy with excitement,” Dr. Lee said. “I’m really looking forward to building something that’s going to last for generations.”