Your Support is Needed More Than Ever

By Janet Hieshetter, Executive Director, Dystonia Medical Research Foundation

Allow me to begin this blog by expressing my appreciation to all who participated in the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation’s recent Auction for Action: Supporting Dystonia Research, the online auction. Your participation resulted in a successful event for the DMRF and will go to support our critical research program.

We are very fortunate to have an engaged and motivated community that understands how important our work is towards finding a cure for dystonia. In the past, your membership has contributed to the health, vitality and growth of the foundation. Along with our generous and committed donors, the DMRF invested more than $1.6 million in our science program last year, focused on identifying new treatments and ultimately on finding a cure for all forms of dystonia.

This investment included over $130,000 to support early-stage investigators. Many of today’s leaders trace their dystonia roots back to funding from the DMRF. It is critically important to engage and retain these younger researchers. They not only bring a fresh perspective to unraveling the mysteries of dystonia, but they are also our intellectual pipeline.

Spring is the time for DMRF membership renewal. Membership in our organization is important as it represents the commitment of our community; add to that, we have an incredible group of donors. Our members and donors have been unselfish in supporting the work of the DMRF. They continually answer the call for providing capital to fund major new endeavors and simply put, we cannot do this work without their support.

Your support has fueled dystonia research, and the progress made to date; we can’t let up now. Renewing your membership, making a gift to support the mission of the DMRF is more important now than ever before.

In addition to funding research grants and fellowships, we also provide educational resources for the dystonia community, helping those living with dystonia better understand their disorder so they can work with their physicians to develop the best treatment plan for them. Last year, the DMRF hosted nearly 150 support group meetings to battle the isolation that can accompany a dystonia diagnosis. The Foundation offers print and online informational resources for the community that address topics from “Understanding Dystonia” to the “Genetics of Dystonia” and “Living Well with Dystonia.”

The DMRF leadership understands that science can never move fast enough for those who are waiting for answers and that awareness, information and connections are vital to the community. The Foundation’s magazine, Dystonia Dialogue, is often called a lifeline for the community—the three issues annually report on the progress of research and provide practical tips for successfully managing the challenges dystonia brings.

Our website is a digital hub for everything that the DMRF is engaged in, and an important repository for the latest news and a portal for finding a doctor to joining a webinar.

All these endeavors require resources. Please consider becoming or renewing your membership or making an additional donation to support the work of the DMRF. Thank you.