Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!  Most people who know me, know I don't do fund raising - but this organization is very special to me.  As many of you know, my wife Elizabeth has Temporomandibular Joint Disorder a problem that effects over 10,000,000 people, 90% of them women who first developed TMJD during their child bearing years. 

How serious is TMJ - if your jaw clicks  or occasionally locks open that is TMJD - no big deal right.  Well Elizabeth went from working her way through college as a banquet waitress carrying heavy trays of food all night - to not being able to lift our 6 week old daughter out of the crib.  . Most victims of TMJ are unable to work, and even have trouble with the simplest of household tasks. 

Many TMJ victims spend the bulk of their time seeking a treatment that will work. Over the past 26 years Elizabeth has gone from doctor to doctor and dentist to dentist,  has had 7 jaw surgeries.  She isn't cured, suffers from constant headaches, neck and shoulder pain. The only success she has had is finding a chronic pain specialist who can at least alleviate some of the pain.  The sad truth is there is no known cure or even a reliable treatment for TMJ. 

The TMJ Association has played an important role in helping us to learn to cope with Elizabeth's health issues.  If you visit their website(www.tmj.org), like 25,000 first time visitors do every month, you will find that they act as an important source of information for people who have recently learned they have TMJ and don't know where to turn or what to do.

In addition the TMJA sponsors scientific research, provides educational materials for patients and medical professionals alike and advocates for the victims of TMJD in Washington.

However, they are a small organization and until a reliable science for the diagnosis and  treatment of TMJD are developed there is so much more they can do for the victims.  There is promising research around the genetics of TMJ and its relationship to other disorders.  We would like to invest in expanding the website and providing better outreach to patients. 

But all this takes money, and that is where you come in.  As you consider your charitable donations this year, please make a contribution to TMJA.  You would be doing Elizabeth and me  a favor, and providing a ray of hope to the millions of sufferers across America.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!