Help END the #1 genetic killer of young children!
Target:
United States Senate and United States House of Representatives
Sponsored by:
Please take 30 seconds to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
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PetitionToCureSMA.com is a grassroots effort started by Bill and Victoria Strong in support of the SMA Treatement Acceleration Act, which was initially introduced in 2007 and was reintroduced in 2009 in the current session of the United States Congress. The passage of this legislation will help END SMA, the #1 genetic killer of young children, and provide groundbreaking data for SMA and other disorders, including the muscular dystrophies, ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease, Friedriech's Ataxia, Fragile X syndrome, and Huntington's disease among others.
********
Our daughter, Gwendolyn Strong, was born perfectly healthy in October 2007, but was diagnosed with the terminal, degenerative disease SMA Type I at 6-months-old. Like all SMA children, Gwendolyn's mind and spirit are no different from that of any healthy child, but her body is failing her. After being told that there was nothing that could be done to save our baby, we started PetitionToCureSMA.com in July 2008 as something that we could do; a grassroots effort to drum up broad support for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. While we hold little hope that our petition or the passage of this legislation will impact our daughter's life, it is our passion to help raise awareness about SMA and further research towards finding that cure for future SMA generations.
You can read more about Gwendolyn's journey with SMA at GwendolynStrong.com.
********
About SMA
About SMA Research
Although SMA is a relatively unknown common rare disease, scientific research and understanding of the disease is extremely mature and active. Dramatic breakthroughs have been made in the past fifteen years and, as a result of those breakthroughs, SMA has quickly gone from a poorly understood disease to being on the doorstep of a viable treatment.
********
The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act will:
********
Other Ways You Can Help PetitionToCureSMA.com:
Please take 30 seconds to to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
********
PetitionToCureSMA.com is a grassroots effort started by Bill and Victoria Strong in support of the SMA Treatement Acceleration Act, which was initially introduced in 2007 and was reintroduced in 2009 in the current session of the United States Congress. The passage of this legislation will help END SMA, the #1 genetic killer of young children, and provide groundbreaking data for SMA and other disorders, including the muscular dystrophies, ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease, Friedriech's Ataxia, Fragile X syndrome, and Huntington's disease among others.
********
Our daughter, Gwendolyn Strong, was born perfectly healthy in October 2007, but was diagnosed with the terminal, degenerative disease SMA Type I at 6-months-old. Like all SMA children, Gwendolyn's mind and spirit are no different from that of any healthy child, but her body is failing her. After being told that there was nothing that could be done to save our baby, we started PetitionToCureSMA.com in July 2008 as something that we could do; a grassroots effort to drum up broad support for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. While we hold little hope that our petition or the passage of this legislation will impact our daughter's life, it is our passion to help raise awareness about SMA and further research towards finding that cure for future SMA generations.
You can read more about Gwendolyn's journey with SMA at GwendolynStrong.com.
********
About SMA
- SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children.
- Fewer than 1 in 35 people unknowingly carrying the gene responsible for SMA.
- 1 in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA; SMA prevalence is comparable to ALS and Cystic Fibrosis.
- SMA impacts the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat, breathe, and swallow. SMA does not impact the mind and children with SMA are bright and social.
- There is currently no treatment and no cure for SMA, but there is HOPE!
- The NIH has selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 disorders.
- Leading U.S. researchers, including Nobel laureate James Watson, have stated that a viable treatment for SMA is possible within 5 years IF they are provided the proper resources.
About SMA Research
Although SMA is a relatively unknown common rare disease, scientific research and understanding of the disease is extremely mature and active. Dramatic breakthroughs have been made in the past fifteen years and, as a result of those breakthroughs, SMA has quickly gone from a poorly understood disease to being on the doorstep of a viable treatment.
********
The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act will:
- Provide Federal support for a national clinical trials network for SMA.
- Provide Federal support to enhance the SMA patient registry and for expanded research on the epidemiology of SMA.
- Establish an Interagency SMA Research Coordinating Committee to include federal agencies including NIH, SMA researchers, and SMA families, to coordinate government activities relating to SMA, develop a comprehensive strategy for improving and expanding SMA research, make recommendations to strengthen collaborative research across multiple institutes at NIH, and identify barriers to the development of drugs for treating SMA.
- Provide for the Secretary of HHS to establish a program to provide information and education on SMA to health professionals and the general public.
********
Other Ways You Can Help PetitionToCureSMA.com:
- Household Check. Make sure that your spouse or others in your household have all signed the petition. Every signature is important.
- Email. Email the petition link - http://PetitionToCureSMA.com - to every contact you know and ask that they do the same.
- Facebook Status. Use your Facebook status to urge your "friends" to sign the petition and pass it on.
- Join Our Facebook Group. Join our Facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25651855063 - and invite your "friends" to join as well.
- Twitter. Twitter the petition link and ask that your "followers" RT your tweets.
- Blog. Post the link on your own blog and ask blogs you follow to do the same.
Please take 30 seconds to to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
Please take 30 seconds to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
********
PetitionToCureSMA.com is a grassroots effort started by Bill and Victoria Strong in support of the SMA Treatement Acceleration Act, which was initially introduced in 2007 and was reintroduced in 2009 in the current session of the United States Congress. The passage of this legislation will help END SMA, the #1 genetic killer of young children, and provide groundbreaking data for SMA and other disorders, including the muscular dystrophies, ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease, Friedriech's Ataxia, Fragile X syndrome, and Huntington's disease among others.
********
Our daughter, Gwendolyn Strong, was born perfectly healthy in October 2007, but was diagnosed with the terminal, degenerative disease SMA Type I at 6-months-old. Like all SMA children, Gwendolyn's mind and spirit are no different from that of any healthy child, but her body is failing her. After being told that there was nothing that could be done to save our baby, we started PetitionToCureSMA.com in July 2008 as something that we could do; a grassroots effort to drum up broad support for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. While we hold little hope that our petition or the passage of this legislation will impact our daughter's life, it is our passion to help raise awareness about SMA and further research towards finding that cure for future SMA generations.
You can read more about Gwendolyn's journey with SMA at GwendolynStrong.com.
********
About SMA
About SMA Research
Although SMA is a relatively unknown common rare disease, scientific research and understanding of the disease is extremely mature and active. Dramatic breakthroughs have been made in the past fifteen years and, as a result of those breakthroughs, SMA has quickly gone from a poorly understood disease to being on the doorstep of a viable treatment.
********
The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act will:
********
Other Ways You Can Help PetitionToCureSMA.com:
Please take 30 seconds to to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
********
PetitionToCureSMA.com is a grassroots effort started by Bill and Victoria Strong in support of the SMA Treatement Acceleration Act, which was initially introduced in 2007 and was reintroduced in 2009 in the current session of the United States Congress. The passage of this legislation will help END SMA, the #1 genetic killer of young children, and provide groundbreaking data for SMA and other disorders, including the muscular dystrophies, ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease, Friedriech's Ataxia, Fragile X syndrome, and Huntington's disease among others.
********
Our daughter, Gwendolyn Strong, was born perfectly healthy in October 2007, but was diagnosed with the terminal, degenerative disease SMA Type I at 6-months-old. Like all SMA children, Gwendolyn's mind and spirit are no different from that of any healthy child, but her body is failing her. After being told that there was nothing that could be done to save our baby, we started PetitionToCureSMA.com in July 2008 as something that we could do; a grassroots effort to drum up broad support for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. While we hold little hope that our petition or the passage of this legislation will impact our daughter's life, it is our passion to help raise awareness about SMA and further research towards finding that cure for future SMA generations.
You can read more about Gwendolyn's journey with SMA at GwendolynStrong.com.
********
About SMA
- SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children.
- Fewer than 1 in 35 people unknowingly carrying the gene responsible for SMA.
- 1 in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA; SMA prevalence is comparable to ALS and Cystic Fibrosis.
- SMA impacts the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat, breathe, and swallow. SMA does not impact the mind and children with SMA are bright and social.
- There is currently no treatment and no cure for SMA, but there is HOPE!
- The NIH has selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 disorders.
- Leading U.S. researchers, including Nobel laureate James Watson, have stated that a viable treatment for SMA is possible within 5 years IF they are provided the proper resources.
About SMA Research
Although SMA is a relatively unknown common rare disease, scientific research and understanding of the disease is extremely mature and active. Dramatic breakthroughs have been made in the past fifteen years and, as a result of those breakthroughs, SMA has quickly gone from a poorly understood disease to being on the doorstep of a viable treatment.
********
The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act will:
- Provide Federal support for a national clinical trials network for SMA.
- Provide Federal support to enhance the SMA patient registry and for expanded research on the epidemiology of SMA.
- Establish an Interagency SMA Research Coordinating Committee to include federal agencies including NIH, SMA researchers, and SMA families, to coordinate government activities relating to SMA, develop a comprehensive strategy for improving and expanding SMA research, make recommendations to strengthen collaborative research across multiple institutes at NIH, and identify barriers to the development of drugs for treating SMA.
- Provide for the Secretary of HHS to establish a program to provide information and education on SMA to health professionals and the general public.
********
Other Ways You Can Help PetitionToCureSMA.com:
- Household Check. Make sure that your spouse or others in your household have all signed the petition. Every signature is important.
- Email. Email the petition link - http://PetitionToCureSMA.com - to every contact you know and ask that they do the same.
- Facebook Status. Use your Facebook status to urge your "friends" to sign the petition and pass it on.
- Join Our Facebook Group. Join our Facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25651855063 - and invite your "friends" to join as well.
- Twitter. Twitter the petition link and ask that your "followers" RT your tweets.
- Blog. Post the link on your own blog and ask blogs you follow to do the same.
Please take 30 seconds to to sign PetitionToCureSMA.com to help END Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic killer of young children!
We the undersigned, as [people/family members of a person/friends of a person] with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), are writing to urge you to research and support S. 1158 and HR. 2149, the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act.
SMA is the number one genetic killer of young children, occurring in about 1 of every 6,000 births. It is estimated that 1 in every 35 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, unknowingly carries the gene that causes SMA. There is no known treatment for this degenerative, nerve destructive disease, but great research advances have been made, thanks to the efforts of passionate families and voluntary health organizations that serve the SMA community. In fact, among more than 600 neurological disorders, SMA has been singled out by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as the disease closest to treatment based on scientists advanced genetic understanding of the disease.
In order to support the scientific and clinical community working to find a cure for SMA, the SMA community has united to introduce the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. Passage of this landmark legislation will enable scientists to mount national clinical trials that will lead to treatments and/or cures for people inflicted with this horrible disease. Further, as researchers make progress unlocking a cure for SMA, their work is also making strides toward understanding and possibly curing a number of other conditions including ALS/Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and many more.
Again, please consider researching and supporting the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act, S. 1158/HR. 2149 and thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
SMA is the number one genetic killer of young children, occurring in about 1 of every 6,000 births. It is estimated that 1 in every 35 people, or nearly 10 million Americans, unknowingly carries the gene that causes SMA. There is no known treatment for this degenerative, nerve destructive disease, but great research advances have been made, thanks to the efforts of passionate families and voluntary health organizations that serve the SMA community. In fact, among more than 600 neurological disorders, SMA has been singled out by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as the disease closest to treatment based on scientists advanced genetic understanding of the disease.
In order to support the scientific and clinical community working to find a cure for SMA, the SMA community has united to introduce the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. Passage of this landmark legislation will enable scientists to mount national clinical trials that will lead to treatments and/or cures for people inflicted with this horrible disease. Further, as researchers make progress unlocking a cure for SMA, their work is also making strides toward understanding and possibly curing a number of other conditions including ALS/Lou Gehrig's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and many more.
Again, please consider researching and supporting the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act, S. 1158/HR. 2149 and thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
We signed the "Help END the #1 genetic killer of young children!" petition!
# 66,737:
2:54 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Craig Shoemaker, Illinois
# 66,736:
2:41 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Name not displayed, Texas
Please help support SMA. This could be your child.
Please help support SMA. This could be your child.
# 66,735:
2:11 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Name not displayed, Arizona
# 66,734:
2:02 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Alisha Talbert, Mississippi
Your daughter is precious! I hope they find a cure for SMA.. My hopes and prayers are with you give that beautiful baby girl a hug and kiss for me.
Your daughter is precious! I hope they find a cure for SMA.. My hopes and prayers are with you give that beautiful baby girl a hug and kiss for me.
# 66,733:
1:56 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Chris Mahoney, North Carolina
# 66,732:
1:35 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Jeanne Jeffrey, New York
Just imagine that it's your own child, or grandchild, & you'll know exactly what should be done.
Just imagine that it's your own child, or grandchild, & you'll know exactly what should be done.
# 66,731:
1:09 pm PDT, Jul 3,
Mario Lopez, California
Please support SMA.
Please support SMA.
# 66,730:
12:43 pm PDT, Jul 3,
CHRISSY RANEY, Mississippi
PLEASE SUPPORT SMA EVERY DISEASE NEEDS A CURE!!
PLEASE SUPPORT SMA EVERY DISEASE NEEDS A CURE!!
# 66,729:
10:29 am PDT, Jul 3,
DIANE Keppel, California
# 66,728:
10:22 am PDT, Jul 3,
Carey Hofmann, Arizona
# 66,727:
10:18 am PDT, Jul 3,
Pamela Hofmann, Arizona
# 66,726:
10:12 am PDT, Jul 3,
Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
# 66,725:
9:18 am PDT, Jul 3,
Barbara Cutler, Massachusetts
I am the mother of a middle aged man with a life long disability. I cannot imagine the horror of watching and knowing your child will die.Please help.
I am the mother of a middle aged man with a life long disability. I cannot imagine the horror of watching and knowing your child will die.Please help.
# 66,724:
9:06 am PDT, Jul 3,
Meghan Namaste, Michigan
# 66,723:
8:28 am PDT, Jul 3,
Stephanie L. Hawkins, California
# 66,722:
7:21 am PDT, Jul 3,
Lynette Lazarus, Pennsylvania
# 66,721:
7:15 am PDT, Jul 3,
Lezlie Namaste, New York
# 66,720:
6:09 am PDT, Jul 3,
Cindra Smith, Nevada
# 66,719:
5:58 am PDT, Jul 3,
Nancy Roberts-Moneir, Mississippi
# 66,718:
5:53 am PDT, Jul 3,
Tiffany Carwell, Texas
# 66,717:
5:28 am PDT, Jul 3,
Danielle Petersen, Michigan
In these difficult economic times, resources are scarce. But can we really afford to lose our youth to a genetic disease simply because we know little about how to stop it? We need to start funding research into SMA and other similar disorders that are devastating the bodies of 1 in 6000 babies--a disorder that is as prevalent as ALS and Cystic Fibrosis.
In these difficult economic times, resources are scarce. But can we really afford to lose our youth to a genetic disease simply because we know little about how to stop it? We need to start funding research into SMA and other similar disorders that are devastating the bodies of 1 in 6000 babies--a disorder that is as prevalent as ALS and Cystic Fibrosis.
Although I am a healthy, middle class American with two (almost three) boys of my own, I am touched by the movement to help thousands of children that suffer from a genetic disorder that still has no cure. These otherwise bright and social children only have several months until their bodies give up on them. Will we? SMA is a disorder that has been identified by the NIH as one that has the potential for a cure--and a viable one at that--provided resources are allotted for research and treatment. We provided billions of dollars for an auto industry that had no hope of surviving. Shouldn't we provide federal support for research that has the potential to save the lives of our most precious resource, our children? Please support the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. Even in these difficult economic times, we really can't afford not to.
# 66,716:
5:08 am PDT, Jul 3,
Robert Robbins, Minnesota
# 66,715:
2:40 am PDT, Jul 3,
Timothy Mercer, Ohio
# 66,714:
1:00 am PDT, Jul 3,
Katherine Orosz, California
# 66,713:
11:33 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Emily Litz, Illinois
Emily Ann Litz
Emily Ann Litz
# 66,712:
9:06 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Name not displayed, New Jersey
# 66,711:
8:33 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Alba Rosado, Puerto Rico
# 66,710:
8:26 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Mike Thornley, Canada
no child should have to go through this
no child should have to go through this
going o n tens now that my son was born we were told that he had SMA and unfortunately he passed at at the age of 2months and a week old finding a cure is very important to me and my wife and it's a very deadly disease for anyone to go though.
# 66,709:
8:26 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Name not displayed, South Carolina
# 66,708:
8:11 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Sahyli Casanova, New York
# 66,707:
7:52 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Melanie Jillen, Canada
We need to end this horrible disease causing the deaths of precious lives!
We need to end this horrible disease causing the deaths of precious lives!
# 66,706:
7:44 pm PDT, Jul 2,
JoAnn Welton, Ohio
Please do what You can, it's very important !!
Please do what You can, it's very important !!
It breaks my heart to see children and adults suffer !! Even though I have not met whom have this disease, My Heart goes out to them and Parents, My Prayers with the Children and Family !!
# 66,705:
7:32 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Erin Kelley, Wisconsin
# 66,704:
7:21 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Name not displayed, Texas
# 66,703:
6:41 pm PDT, Jul 2,
Timothy Smith, North Carolina
# 66,702:
6:41 pm PDT, Jul 2,
April Rausch, Georgia
