Two families set up a lemonade stand on a street corner in southern California several years ago. Their goal: raise money to help find a cure for Juvenile Myositis (JM), a potentially debilitating and life-threatening rare autoimmune disease affecting their children.  This is how the story of the Cure JM Foundation begins. I hope you can help us give it a happy ending!

 

Since 2003, Cure JM Foundation has raised over $2 million dollars. These funds, from generous donors like yourself, and the efforts of our all-volunteer organization have helped to establish JM research programs at Children’s Memorial Research Center in Chicago and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and to publish the first reference book on the disease.  Your past support of our efforts have allowed us to extend our research grants!  Funding for these programs gives thousands of JM children and their families hope for a disease-free future; a life without daily shots, pills and treatments to keep their own immune system from attacking its own cells and tissues.  Medications can help alleviate the symptoms of JM, but there is no known cure.  It is through research and awareness that we hope to someday, hopefully soon, find this cure! 

 

But it is still only a hope… JM children, like our own 9-year-old granddaughter/niece Megan, can spend their lives battling this disease which affects the body's large muscles and can lead to fatal complications in other body organs. Megan’s battle began 7 years ago and continues today without remission.  While she is making great progress and is playing soccer and taking dancing lessons like other children, everyday is a new challenge to stop the disease from rearing up again.  The memories of a frightened, paralyzed child with a feeding tube are still quite vivid; however, watching her on the soccer field remains proof of the success of Cure JM Foundation’s supported research efforts.  Despite these accomplishments, we still have many mountains to climb. 

 

Please support Cure JM Foundation’s participation in the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in Austin, Texas on the weekend of February 12, 2010.  A team of runners and volunteers -- which includes members of the McKeever and Doria families – will be participating to help raise awareness and funds for finding a cure.  Funds raised from support of the event will fund research grants and other JM programs in 2010. (If your company has a matching gift program, please fax the matching gift form to: (760) 230-2243.)

 

As an all-volunteer foundation, nearly 100% of your donation goes towards helping to prevent another child from suffering with this disease. On behalf of all children and their families afflicted with JM, thank you for your generous support!!

Walter and Denise